


How Dare You!

by BearMiya90



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24942919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearMiya90/pseuds/BearMiya90
Summary: A new manager was assigned to Nino's department. The two of them got off on the wrong foot and since then, Nino could not enjoy his peaceful days in the office because the manager kept on getting on his nerves.
Relationships: Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

“What are you working on, Aiba chan?” 

Still sitting on his chair, Nino went closer to his friend who sat in front of him. They were the only people in the office right now. The other two colleagues were out for a meeting. Same goes with the new manager. Nino grimaced thinking of the boring manager that had been assigned to supervise them two weeks ago.

Okay, back to his original mission. He tried to keep his expression neutral, hoping Aiba won’t know his real reason for approaching him. But, Aiba only spared him a glance before locking his eyes once again at the computer screen. Ah, it’s going to be easy to do what he wanted.

“The report for…” Aiba trailed off, surprised as his chair was suddenly lowered. Nino giggled because of Aiba's reaction. His friend simply blinked, not fully understanding what had happened.

“Nino!” Aiba whined once he realized what Nino had done. “Don’t bother me. I have to finish my work!” 

Nino only laughed, ignoring Aiba. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Jun and Sho entering the office. They had just returned from a meeting with a client. Both Jun and Sho stood still at the entrance and based on what they were saying loudly, it seemed like they disagreed about the client. He smiled gleefully as he had an idea of how to bother those two. Knowing what to do, he met Aiba’s stare. Aiba frowned at first so he pointed at the chair and then Sho and Jun. As Aiba finally understood what he meant, he put a finger on his lips, signalling Aiba to be silent. He didn’t want the targets to notice what they were about to do. 

_They are too immersed in their conversation. Good!_ He thought to himself. 

“ATTACK!!!” That was his signal for Aiba. Hearing the scream, both Jun and Sho turned to look at him. However, it was too late. Aiba pushed the chair he was sitting on at full speed and BAM!!! He hit the targets! Jun and Sho stumbled on the floor because they couldn’t dodge him in time. 

"OUCH!!" Both cried simultaneously. 

“Don’t you have work to do?” Jun scolded him. 

“Yeah. I thought you have loads of reports to analyze,” Sho added. His annoyance was evident. 

Nino scrunched his nose to annoy the two of them. He indeed had lots of work to do. But, after days of seeing data non-stop… ah… it’s too much. He just needed a little break from working. If he continued, he might vomit because of how sick he was to extract information from all the reports he had been reading. 

“I need a little break.” He pouted. “Do you know how bored I am reading all those reports?” 

The three of them looked at him with sympathy. Nice, his strategy seemed to work. All he had to do, gave them his puppy eyes and pouted. It always works. They will just forgive him. 

“Okay, we understand,” Sho said. “You do look stressed for the past few days. But, please, don’t do childish things like this. You’re lucky because Ohno san isn’t in the office right now,” 

“I’m not lucky. I do this because Ohchan is not in the office right now. He's out for a meeting,” He gave Sho a wink. “Why don't we race using our chair? The first person to reach the elevator is the winner and he can request anything from the losers for a week!" 

The three of them rolled their eyes, clearly disapproved his plan. He knew his idea was childish. But, the office was so dull ever since Ohno came to their office. It’s only been two weeks but Ohno’s dark aura and unfriendly demeanour had made the office gloomy. And it affected Nino. He didn’t like gloomy and dull environment. That’s why he decided that whenever Ohno was not around, he would do an activity that would brighten the office. 

"Come on!” Nino persuaded his friends. Aiba looked tempted to join. “ Let's do this! Ohchan is not here so…" 

“Ohchan?” 

Nino went rigid when he heard a cold voice behind him. As his friends stood facing the newcomer, he studied their reaction. All of them looked at the person behind him with wide eyes before they lowered their faces, clearly refusing to look at him. Ohno was behind him, right? Oh my, he’s screwed! How long had Ohno been standing there? Did he watch what Nino did to Sho and Jun earlier? Did he hear his suggestion to race in the office? Please, no! Hopefully, the only thing Ohno caught him doing was calling him Ohchan. He never called the other person Ohchan before, at least not to Ohno’s face. It was just something he called behind Ohno’s back, just to make him feel less scary. 

Ah, here goes nothing. He stood up from his chair and turned around to face Ohno, bracing himself. Looking at Ohno’s tiny frame, he wondered how could someone this small be so intimidating? The way Ohno was staring at him right now… Oh, if looks could kill, he’d be dead right now. 

“Hmm…” He couldn’t think of anything to say as he stood face to face with Ohno. Damn, brain! Why did you choose this moment to be stupid?

“Will one of you explain to me why you’re not doing your work?” Ohno asked, glaring at them. His gaze lasted longer on Nino as if he knew Nino was the reason. 

“We…” Sho began to answer but Ohno stopped him. 

“Remember…” The way Ohno spoke -even though he wasn’t yelling- was enough to give him chills. How did this guy pull off this image even though he was small? Nino was about the same size as him but he doubted anyone would ever feel scared of him. “This is an office, not a playground,” 

“Yes, sir,” The four of them answered simultaneously. 

Ohno glared at them one more time before he headed to his office. But, he stopped at the door, turning back to look at them. When Nino saw he opened his mouth, he could guess what his boss was going to say, especially when his boss was looking straight at him. 

“In my office now, Ninomiya!” 

His friends looked at him with sympathy. With a heavy step, he walked towards the office. Aiba wished him luck as he walked past him. 

Ah, whatever. He had no reason to be scared because he didn't do anything wrong. He was just goofing around in the office. The worst that Ohno could do was giving him a warning. 

Feeling more confident with himself, he knocked on the door and entered the office, ready to defend himself in case Ohno started to act like a jerk. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Take a seat, Ninomiya," 

Nino eyed the chair in front of him, silently cursing at Ohno for ignoring him when he entered his office ten minutes ago. Instead of talking, Ohno pretended to be busy and let Nino stand in front of him like a fool. 

Noticing that he was still standing, Ohno gave him a cold look, daring Nino to defy him. Okay, Ohno was scary with that look. He admitted that. And, it was enough to crush his so-called courage so he took a seat, just like Ohno had ordered. 

"Have you finished your report?" Ohno asked, still sound as cold as always. 

"No," He answered. 

"Then, why are you goofing around in the office?" 

"Taking a break? It isn't wrong to take a break, right? It could improve my productivity," He tried to reason with his boss. “Besides, it’s due the day after tomorrow. So, I still have some time before the dateline,”

However, Ohno only stared at him, making him wonder what he was thinking about. 

"It isn't wrong to take a break," Ohno finally said. He wanted to sigh in relief when Ohno agreed with him. But, he knew Ohno wouldn't let him go as easily as he thought. And, he was proven right when Ohno continued. "But, it is wrong to bother the others who are working," 

"I didn't bother them," Nino argued. Silently, he prayed that Ohno didn't see what he had done before Ohno arrived. However, judging the way Ohno was looking at him… hmmm… he didn't think he had enough to prove he was innocent. 

"How do you know I'm guilty?" Okay, let's just try this. If there's something he was good at, it was twisting the truth. 

"Well, I don't have anything to prove you are guilty of bothering the others." Ohno pretended to be defeated by his argument. Urgh, he is so annoying. "But, the voice of the person who suggested racing to the elevator… urgh, what a lame idea…" Nino glared at him when he heard that. How dare Ohno insulted his idea as lame! "... that voice sounds very similar to yours," 

"Once again, you have no proof it was me,"

"Hmmm… yeah, I guess you're right. It might be Aiba. The idea was so stupid. I doubt someone as cool as you will suggest something dumb like that," 

Nino clenched his teeth, irritated with the way Ohno treated him. Ah, if only he could punch this guy...

"Anyway, I have a client to meet at 7 PM today," Ohno informed him. Nino frowned. He had a bad feeling about this, especially when he noticed Ohno was smirking. "And you're going with me," 

"What?" 

"You heard me. I have to meet a client and you're going to go with me. And you cannot claim overtime for it. Consider it as a punishment for goofing around during office hours," 

He was about to argue but Ohno shut him off by pressing something on his phone. It was a recording of what happened earlier, which indicated it was him who suggested racing to the elevator. 

"We will go at 6 PM," Ohno stated matter-of-factly, which denied him any chance of objecting. "You may go now," 

He glared at his boss but complied as requested. Urgh, he hated Ohno. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


For the rest of the day, Nino had been moody. None of his friends dared to ask him what happened in Ohno's office. Not even Aiba. He stayed silent and grumpy as he did his work. 

"Are you going to work overtime today, Nino?" Aiba asked, still sounding scared to talk to him. Nino ignored him and glanced at the clock. He sighed when he realized it's the time to go with Ohno. He almost finished his report and he wondered if Ohno would let him finish it before they went for the meeting. 

“Well, we’re going to go for a drink,” Aiba continued his attempt to talk to him while Jun and Sho stayed silent. “Do you want to join us?” 

“Nah…” He finally answered. “I have to go with Ohno to meet a client,” 

“Is that how you address me, Ninomiya?” 

Ah, that voice! He hated to hear that voice. Maybe he shouldn’t goof around earlier. Somehow, Ohno had talked more often after the incident. And most of the time, he talked to annoy Nino. For example, an hour ago, he had come to Sho’s desk to ask about the new client Sho was handling right now. They were talking about work but he did _mock_ Nino a few times. Why he did that, Nino had no idea. Maybe it was to get his attention but Nino simply ignored him.

“Ohno _san_ …” Nino said, clearly faking his tone to sound friendly. “Are we going there now?”

“Yes,” Ohno responded with a smile. Urgh, he hated his smile. That was the smile of a devil. “I’ve told you that we will leave at 6 PM.” 

“Can you give me 15 minutes? I almost…” 

“Nope,” Ohno said with his demanding tone. He didn’t give Nino a chance to explain at all. “As you’ve said before, you still have some time before the deadline. Besides, you will do it in a rush and it might affect the quality of your report. So, you should continue the work tomorrow,” 

Well, there’s no denying that Ohno was right. But, he knew that the manager was doing it only to spite him. Urgh, was Ohno always this mean? He thought Ohno was just a quiet and dull person. He didn’t expect him to be a maou. Hmm… Maou? That could be his new nickname.

“Well, hurry up!” Ohno urged him. “The rest of you, I’ll see you tomorrow,” 

Aiba, Jun and Sho looked at each other before they quickly took their bags and waved goodbye to the two of them. 

“So, where are we going?” Nino asked as he walked with Ohno to the elevator. Even though his friends had just left mere minutes ago, they were nowhere to be seen. Did they take the stairs? 

“Tokyo,” Ohno answered lazily. 

Okay, can he punch his boss now? That wasn’t an answer at all. They’re already in Tokyo. But, he didn’t say anything to his boss anymore after that. He doubted Ohno would answer him. So, he simply followed the guy. Hopefully, Ohno would not trick him and bring him to a dangerous place. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“We will meet the client here?” Nino asked when they arrived at an Italian restaurant in Aoyama. Ohno only gave him a smile without answering his question. Urgh, Ohno is weird, he cursed his boss silently. 

He looked around the lavish restaurant. Hmm, he would never dream of eating in this restaurant even if he had enough money. It’s better to spend his money somewhere else. 

But, well, Ohno said he couldn’t claim his overtime. But, how about the expense? Would Ohno pay for his meal? He wouldn’t spend even a single penny for this. 

Both of them followed the waiter who’s going to show them their table. As they walked, Ohno wrapped his arm around his waist, much to his surprise. He tried to push the hand away but Ohno was stronger than him.

The waiter brought them to a table occupied by a couple of elderly people and a young woman, who was perhaps a couple of years older than him. As he looked at them, he realized they eerily resembled Ohno and he started to have a bad feeling about this. 

“Satoshi…” the older woman spoke. “Why do you bring an outsider to our family dinner?” 

Okay, Nino tried to calm himself. Did Ohno bring him here to meet his family? But, why would he do that?

“Mama, he’s not an outsider,” Ohno said, putting a kiss on his forehead. Truthfully, Nino didn’t know how to react. Everything happened too fast. “This is Ninomiya Kazunari. He is my boyfriend,” 

Oh my… This time, his boss deserved a punch! 


	2. Chapter 2

Oh man, he really wanted to punch his boss!

He was in shock when Ohno kissed his forehead and then introduced him as his boyfriend to the people sitting across him. People who were apparently Ohno’s family and just like him, they're also surprised with the news, judging from the frown they were giving him. 

But, once he recovered from the shock, he realized punching Ohno would not be a good idea. Maybe, it’s better for him to play along with Ohno, to see what Ohno truly wanted to achieve by creating this ruse. If he played his part well, he could find out Ohno’s motive and then used it to threaten him in case he acted like a jerk again. 

“Honey…” Urgh, he wanted to vomit when he heard his own voice calling Ohno that way. “You didn’t tell me we’re going to meet your parents today,” 

"I want to surprise you,"

Ohno's lips curled upwards, forming a devilish smile dedicated to him. Urgh, what was this maou thinking about? Was he plotting something sinister? Geez, was the person standing next to him right now his boring and dull boss? He certainly looked different than before. 

"Uhm…" He had no idea how to respond. 

"Satoshi…" An angry female voice distracted the two of them. It was Ohno's sister, he assumed. She seemed grumpy. "... stop flirting! I'm hungry so just sit down and order your food," 

Ohno gave her a slight nod as he pulled the chair to let Nino sit. Nino looked at the family before he awkwardly took the seat. Once both of them were seated, Ohno leaned forward and gave him another kiss. This time, he kissed Nino's cheeks. It took a great deal of control to stop himself from swinging his hand at Ohno. 

"What do you want to eat, Kazunari?" Ohno said, acting as if nothing had happened as he scanned the menu with interest. Nino glared at him. He was angry at Ohno for kissing his cheeks but he was even more angry for something else. How dare Ohno call him by his first name! Only his family was allowed to call him Kazunari! 

"I know my cheeks look delicious…" Ohno said, his eyes were still on the menu. Nino looked at him with confusion. He had no idea why Ohno suddenly talked about his puffy cheeks. "... But, you don't have to stare at me like that. I'm not part of the menu so you cannot eat me," Hearing that, Nino almost scowled. Oh man, if it's not barbaric to eat people, he would love to skin Ohno alive. "I will allow you to do something else, babes. But… wait until we get home, okay?" 

Ohno looked at him and then winked. Nino's face got warmed, realizing what Ohno had implied with his words. Seriously, what's wrong with his boss? 

"So, before my grumpy sister becomes a tiger because of how hungry she is…" Ohno pointed at his sister. She was glaring at them, causing Ohno's mother to remind her to be polite. "... You better choose what you want to eat," 

Nino gave Ohno a slight smile, remembering that he should pretend to be Ohno's boyfriend. He scanned the menu and his eyes widened, seeing how expensive each meal was. What should he order then? Would Ohno pay for his meal or he had to pay for it with his own money? 

"I'll have mushroom soup," He decided to settle for a side dish. It's the cheapest meal and his stomach didn't usually agree with fancy meals like the others on the menu. 

"Are you sure, honey?" Ohno asked with concern. Nino tried hard not to narrow his eyes, knowing that Ohno didn't actually care. He was just feigning concern. "Would that be enough? What if you wake up in the middle of the night because you're hungry? I don't want you to eat instant ramen, my dear. It's not healthy," 

Okay, Nino, relax. It's okay, he can handle this. He glanced towards Ohno's family, realizing they were watching him with interest, including Ohno's cranky sister. She even gave him an amused smile. Urgh, both siblings were weird, he concluded. 

"It will be enough. Did you forget? I'm on a diet. I don't eat much for dinner," Nino said, praying that thing will be in his favour for once. 

"Of course, I remember!" Ohno smirked, shamelessly stroking his back. Nino didn't want to admit but it actually felt nice. "But… I've told you, right? There's no need to go on a diet, Kazunari. Your figure is awesome. If anything, you should eat more," 

Oh my… 

"Yes, dearie," Ohno's mother suddenly joined the conversation. "I think you should eat more," 

"It's okay… I'm not really…"

"Don't be like this," Ohno's mother insisted. She looked genuinely concerned for Nino which made it hard for Nino to refuse her. So, he nodded his head. She gave him a soft smile. It was totally different from the way both her children had smiled at him. It made him wonder how an angel like her could have Ohno as her child. 

"What do you recommend?" He inquired, looking at the menu once again. Ohno's mother asked for what he liked to eat and then recommended the dish based on his preference. In the end, he decided to eat spaghetti carbonara.

"So, how did you know each other?" Ohno's sister didn't waste any time to ask once the waiter left. 

Nino decided to stay silent. He wanted to see how Ohno would provide details on their relationship. Maybe he could get the reason Ohno was doing this from the answer. 

"I'm his manager," Ohno answered.

"How long have you been in a relationship with him?" Ohno's sister continued. 

"It will be 24 hours by 3 PM tomorrow," Ohno answered with a straight face. "And I've only known him for two weeks," 

Nino was surprised by the answer. He thought that he had to pretend to be Ohno’s boyfriend because Ohno was forced by his family to get married or they would find someone for him. Perhaps they already had someone for him and he hated that person. That’s why he took a classic tactic by pretending to be gay and already had a boyfriend to make sure he would never marry that person. But, it didn't seem to be the case here. By declaring that their relationship was quite recent, it would obviously show that this relationship between the two of them was just a bluff to get his parents off his case. So, why did he lie to his parents about them?

"Isn't it too early to be in a relationship?" Ohno's sister asked. "You barely know him," 

"Does it matter?" Ohno questioned her back. The way he answered this time resembled the boss that Nino knew. "We like each other." 

"But…" His sister wanted to continue but Ohno gave her a look that clearly said he didn't want to continue talking about their relationship. 

And so she stopped. 

And it was awkward. 

Thankfully, Ohno's mother was quick to change the subject and asked Nino about his family. Nino shyly talked about his parents and sister. Ohno joined the conversation and started to tease him again. And things started to be lively again. 

As they talked, he realized that he actually loved Ohno's parents, particularly Ohno's mother. They reminded him of his own parents. They were so pleasant to talk to and it’s unlikely for them to push Ohno to get married. There must be another reason for Ohno to do this, he thought, as he glanced at Ohno from time to time. And, that made him curious to know more about Ohno. Maybe Ohno wasn't as boring as he thought. 

“Nino, you’re home!” 

Aiba exclaimed when he returned home to their shared apartment that night. After the somewhat pleasant dinner with Ohno’s family that night, Ohno had called his driver to send both of them home. The drive home was peaceful with Ohno stayed silent. He seemed to be lost in his thought and didn’t tease him as he did during dinner. Even Nino couldn’t bring himself to ask anything because he was back to be his boring and dull boss. Okay, maybe not boring. After what happened tonight, he had started to think of Ohno as a mysterious person. Ohno could be fun around his family so why couldn’t he be like that in the office? 

“No need to shout. I’m not deaf,” Nino snapped.

Aiba pouted because of his bitter response and it made Nino feel bad for acting like this. Aiba was just worried about him. He didn’t have to act like a jerk towards Aiba. 

“I’m sorry, Aiba chan,” He quickly apologized. “I’m just tired,” 

Then, as if he hadn’t just snapped at Aiba mere minutes before, Aiba beamed at him. 

“It’s okay, Nino chan,” Aiba said, smiling brightly at him. Nino returned the smile. He had known Aiba for a while but it’s still amusing to know how kind and forgiving Aiba was. Sometimes, he wished he could be like that too. But, it’s too bad. He loved being snarky and bratty. 

“How was the meeting with the client?” Aiba inquired. “Which client wants to meet after work?” 

For a few seconds, Nino was lost. He couldn’t understand what Aiba was talking about. Then, he remembered how Ohno had tricked him into thinking that they’re going to meet a client tonight. 

“Oh…” He scratched his head. “It wasn’t a client. Ohchan brought me to meet his parents,” 

“Why?” Aiba looked bewildered because of what he said. 

“To introduce me as his boy…” It was too late when Nino realized what he had just said. The look on Aiba’s face was too comical. His eyes widened and his mouth opened wide in surprise before he covered it with his hand. 

“Are you dating Ohno san?” Aiba didn’t waste his time to probe. 

“NO!” Nino quickly denied. Man, why did he realize what he had said when it’s too late? He knew Aiba could be trusted but seriously, he didn’t want anyone else to know. Not until he could figure out what Ohno was up to. 

“Then, why did he introduce you to his family as his boyfriend?” Aiba tilted his head. 

“No idea,” Nino answered honestly. He decided to confront Ohno tomorrow, to know why he did this.

Aiba stared at him, probably wondering whether he was telling him the truth. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had just realized something. Then, he smiled at Nino, which made Nino think that his idiot friend was thinking of something stupid. It was the same smile Aiba often gave him before he announced his dumb idea. 

“Are you thinking of something stupid?” 

“No... “ Aiba shook his head. “I know why Ohno san brought you to see his family,” 

“Really? I doubt that” If someone as smart as him couldn’t figure out, how could Aiba figure it out? He didn’t mean to say Aiba was stupid. But, for things like this, Aiba usually had the most ridiculous idea. So… Nope… He wouldn’t trust Aiba’s judgement on this. 

“Nino, you have to trust me!” Aiba tried to persuade him. “I’m sure he’s doing this because he likes you. He’s doing this to get your attention!” 

Upon hearing what Aiba had said, Nino laughed hysterically. Yup, he wasn’t wrong. That’s the dumbest reason he could think of.


	3. Chapter 3

Nino went to the office early the next morning. Usually, he would go to work together with Aiba. But, since he had woken up early, he decided to leave without his friend. As Aiba was still sleeping and he didn’t want to bother him, he simply left a note on the table.

While on the train for work this morning, he thought of what happened yesterday. Of all things that could happen, he never thought that he would spend the night with his boss having dinner together. It was even harder to believe that they were with Ohno’s family with him apparently as Ohno’s boyfriend. It was totally absurd! 

But, what was even more absurd was Aiba’s stupid logic. How could he think Ohno was doing it because he liked Nino? Hilarious! He couldn’t stop laughing when he heard that. Even though Aiba had tried to justify his opinion, Nino had shut him down, telling him it’s impossible Ohno liked him. If anything, Ohno hated him and that’s why he had made Nino’s life miserable yesterday. 

When he arrived, he was surprised to see he wasn’t alone. Ohno was already in his office, staring intently at the computer. It’s strange because usually, Ohno would be the last one to arrive. But, well… even Nino was early so there must be a reason why Ohno arrived early today. 

He went to the pantry to prepare coffee for himself. As he did so, he wondered whether he should confront Ohno now. There’s no one in the office so maybe it’s a perfect time. He didn’t want Jun and Sho to know what had happened yesterday. He had made Aiba promise not to tell anyone else. Aiba might be nosy but he knew how to keep his mouth shut. 

As he was lost in his own thoughts, thinking of what to tell Ohno, someone approached him and then wrapped his waist. He went still, not knowing how to react. This was the first time someone had dared to embrace him like this. However, he started to relax when he heard a familiar voice chuckling. He sighed, knowing it was Ohno who was behind him. 

He jabbed the man with his elbow. Ohno yelped playfully in response before he released his hold on Nino’s waist. Once he had been released, Nino turned around, standing face-to-face with the Maou. It was shocking to see how their faces were mere inches from each other. They were too close and he swore, he could smell Ohno’s minty breath. 

“What are you doing?” He pushed Ohno away. The guy moved from him. He laughed loudly, clearly to mock him but all Nino could do was glare at him. Seriously, it was early in the morning and Ohno had already got on his nerves. 

“A cup of coffee, please,” Ohno handed him his mug. He tilted his head and gave Nino puppy eyes, trying to look cute. 

“I already made coffee in the pot. So, you just have to pour it into your mug. It’s not that hard!” Nino said in annoyance. He didn't take the mug from Ohno. It was rude of him but he didn't care. Ohno was to be blamed for this.

Urgh, his boss was even weirder today. What Ohno did yesterday during dinner was understandable because they were with his parents and they were apparently a couple. But, why did Ohno keep acting weird today? It’s creepy. 

To make him even more frustrated, Ohno remained calm. All his boss did was smirk before pushing him away from the counter and then pouring a cup of coffee into the mug he was holding. Once he was done, he turned around to face Nino once again. No smile on his face this time.

“You’re early today, Ninomiya,” Ohno said in the same cold tone that Nino was familiar with. There’s no trace of playfulness on his face either. Instead, Ohno was once again back to being solemn and serious. Nino didn’t know how to feel about this. For one thing, he was amazed by how easily Ohno changed his expression. But, it was pretty disturbing too!

“I have work to do,”

It was baffling for him when Ohno suddenly laughed. Eh? This was too creepy! Was everything okay with Ohno? Should he be worried that something might be wrong with the manager’s brain? 

“Ah… this is so fun!” Ohno exclaimed. “See, I can be fun if I want. I’m not really dull and boring," 

Huh? Another baffling moment… what did Ohno mean by that?

As Nino tried to make sense of what had happened, Ohno strode closer and then whispered in his ears.

"You look so cute when you're confused…" Ohno flicked Nino's nose gently. "... Kazunari," 

He did it again! He called Nino's first name! Ah, it's too much! Nino was ready to swing his hand, to land his small fist on Ohno's smug face. 

But… 

A sound from his back made him stop, alerting him that there's someone else in the pantry. He didn't want to turn around, afraid to see who the other person was. He prayed that it was Aiba even though it would be impossible. Even if Aiba woke up right after he left, it would take some time for his friend to arrive at work. 

"Ah, good morning, Matsumoto san," Ohno greeted the newcomer cheerfully, distancing himself from Nino. 

It's Jun! Jun is the newcomer. Ah… Why Jun?

Nino turned around and saw the surprised look on Jun's face as he tried to make sense of what he had seen. The surprised look was quickly replaced by amusement. And, it made Nino wish he could look at a mirror right now. Pretty sure his face was red. He cursed silently when he noticed how Jun was clearly trying to stifle his laugh.

"Good morning, Ohno san," Jun nodded his head. 

Ohno only gave a small smile at Jun and then he excused himself from the pantry. However, before he left, he leaned closer to Nino, earning a curious look from Jun, and then he whispered. "Lunch together today. Don't you dare go out without me," 

Urgh… how dare Ohno threaten him! Fine, if he could survive dinner with Ohno yesterday, the lunch would be a piece of cake. 

"What's going on between you and Ohno san?" As expected, Jun didn't waste a second to ask once Ohno was out of earshot. 

"Ask that stupid boss yourself," Nino said, channelling his anger to his poor friend. "He had been acting weird since yesterday. And I'm in hell because of him. First, he made the office gloomy. Now, he keeps trying to get on my nerves. Urgh, stupid idiot dumb boss!" 

Once he started cursing, he couldn't stop it. And he was lucky because Ohno didn't hear any of it. The stupid idiotic dumb maou was already in his room. 

"Easy, man!" Jun tried to calm him. "I don't think he's that bad." 

Nino glared at his friend. But, it had no effect on Jun. Instead, Jun started his long speech of why Ohno Satoshi is a good manager. Nino shrugged him off, ignoring whatever good point Jun talked about Ohno. Okay, he admitted that despite his unfriendly personality, Ohno had been a helpful boss. But… he didn't like how the boss had changed after…

Something clicked in his mind. He finally understood what Ohno meant by being boring and dull earlier. 

"Ne…" He tapped Jun's shoulder, remembering he was alone with Jun in the washroom yesterday. He had complained about how grave the office had been since Ohno came. "Are we alone in the washroom yesterday? You know… before you left with Sho for your appointment…"

"Hmm… maybe… I don't remember, Nino!" 

"Was he in the washroom? Did he hear what I said?" Nino mumbled. If he was not mistaken, there's certainly no one else in the washroom. Not even in the stalls. 

But… Ah… Now he remembered… Ohno entered the washroom when he was leaving. Stupid Nino! Why didn't he realize that there's a possibility of Ohno overhearing the conversation he had with Jun? He must be angry because of what Nino had said about him. That's why he had been a jerk to Nino since yesterday. 

It started to make sense now. Ohno was doing this because he wanted to prove that he can be fun. To prove that he wasn't dull and boring. 

But… there's another mystery… Why would Ohno involve his family in this? He had no answer for that… 

"Why are you so quiet? What are you thinking about?" Jun asked, distracting his thoughts.

"None of your business," Nino said playfully, being bratty as usual. "What I'm thinking about is too complicated. A mediocre mind like you won't understand," 

As usual, Jun only rolled his eyes before he muttered. "Yeah, right. Too complicated? Nah... I bet you're just thinking about Ohno san. Both of you have been weird since yesterday. But, I'm not going to pry into your private matter. Ohno san seems to be more relaxed and I like it. So, I hope you will not do something stupid to jeopardize this. If not…" 

Jun left his words hanging. But, it was enough to let Nino know that he would make Nino suffer. Ah, to hell with that. Ohno was only in a good mood because he had made Nino's life miserable. And Nino won't stay quiet. Ohno would regret this. He would regret trying to mess with Nino. 

Ah, he shouldn't waste his time sitting here and talking to Jun. It's time to do his work and then he can plot his revenge! 

So, off he went, leaving Jun alone. 

The morning was… uneventful. After their encounter in the pantry earlier, Ohno didn't bother him anymore. In fact, his boss was too busy, he didn't even go out of his room. 

Good… He hoped Ohno would be too busy and forget about their lunch. It would be better if Ohno forgot to have his own lunch. He let out evil laughter, glancing at his boss before he continued to do his work.

"Why are you grinning like an idiot when you look at Ohno san, Nino?" Sho asked, much to Nino's surprise. Sho’s eyes were on the screen but apparently he could still notice what others were doing. Damn! He thought he had been subtle enough. 

"Because Ohno san is someone special for him," It wasn't Nino who responded. It was Jun. Hearing that, Aiba was ready to add something. However, Nino gave him a sharp look and Aiba stayed silent with a pout.

"Oh…" Sho didn't look surprised. No one said anything after that. 

However, despite his hope to have the lunch date cancelled, he found himself casting a look towards Ohno from time to time. He blamed it on his desire to have his revenge on Ohno. He hadn't planned what to do to Ohno yet. But, if they're really going to have lunch together, he would stay calm. That's his mistake yesterday. He was too overwhelmed and let Ohno control the situation. No, this time, it would be different. 

When it was almost the time for lunch, he glimpsed towards Ohno only to find the guy staring back at him. Once he noticed what Nino was doing, he smiled triumphantly as he left the room and walked towards Nino. Without thinking, Nino stuck out his tongue at Ohno. 

Oh, man… once again, he had let his annoyance towards Ohno control him. Ah, stay calm, Nino! 

"Kazunari…" Ohno stroked his shoulder gently. His friends pretended to be ignorant. But, he was sure they were listening. "Let's go for lunch together," 

"Okay…" He easily agreed, saving his work before he stood up. "I thought you would cancel our date. You seemed busy," 

"Well, of course, I am busy," Ohno said, wrapping his arm around Nino's waist as they walked together. "But, I still have to eat, right?"

He could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. But, he didn't check. Pretty sure it was Aiba who texted him. Ah, Aiba is so nosy!

Ohno brought him to a western restaurant near their office. Nino had been here before so he knew exactly what he wanted to eat. The steak here was delicious even though it was quite pricey. But, who cares.

"Thank you for the treat," Nino said after the waiter left. 

"Pay with your own money," Ohno said before pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket. He handed it out but Nino didn't take it. He knew what it was. It must be the receipt from yesterday. 

"You ask me out so you have to pay," He stuck his tongue out at Ohno again. This time, he didn't care if he looked childish. "So, why are you doing this?" 

As expected, Ohno didn't answer him. Instead, he pretended to be busy looking around the restaurant. Geez, he is so annoying! 

But, Nino didn't push him for an answer. Patience was the key here. 

"What do you think?" Ohno suddenly said as the waiter put their meals on the table. Nino didn't answer immediately. He stayed silent, wanting the waiter to be gone first.

"If I know, I wouldn't ask you," He answered, pretending to be flustered once again. Let Ohno feel he had an upper hand right now. 

"Please…" He pleaded, reaching out to take Ohno's hand on the table. Ohno beamed with happiness as he pushed Nino's hand away. 

"No need to beg, dearie. I will tell you if you want to know. I'm doing it because…" Ohno paused, perhaps trying to be dramatic. 

"Because…" Nino waited for the answer. Another smug smile from Ohno before he continued. 

"It's for fun…" Ohno answered, confirming what Nino had thought. "I overheard you complain to Matsumoto san that the office is gloomy because of me. You complain that I'm boring and dull. So, I did this to let you see me in a different way, to let you know that I can be unpredictable too." 

Nino feigned surprise as he listened to Ohno's explanation. He already knew that. Ohno simply confirmed his thoughts. One mystery solved, then. 

"But, why do you have to deceive your parents?" He asked, didn’t care if he sounded eager this time. 

Ohno looked uncomfortable as he mumbled. "Let's just say… it's for the future," 

"Huh?" Nino scowled. Future? What kind of answer was that? "Care to elaborate?" 

Ohno shook his head. 

"Tell me or I will tell your parents!" He urged Ohno, trying to sound as threatening as possible. It worked because Ohno quickly tried to calm him.

"I don't know how to tell them about my… hmm… sexual orientation," Ohno mouthed the last word, signifying how embarrassed he was. "So, I did that as an experiment. It seems like they are okay if I have a boyfriend," 

Oh… that wasn't what he expected. And truthfully, he didn't know how to react.

"Do you have an actual boyfriend?" He asked, out of curiosity. Twin spots of red appeared on Ohno's cheeks. 

"No…" Ohno shook his head. "I just discovered this recently. I realize that I like a guy… in a different way,"

Recently? Nino wondered who the person might be. Could it be one of his colleagues? Maybe it's Jun. But, Aiba was quite attractive too. And Sho had a lot of fans so it could be him too. 

However, upon hearing that Ohno liked someone, he felt something weird and he didn't like it. 

He tried to push the feeling away, deciding to be his bratty self again. "Well… Ohno san, that is not a good way to test whether your parents will be okay with it. I'm adorable and loveable. So, of course, they will like me," 

Ohno rolled his eyes but he didn't say anything about that. Instead, he excused himself to go to the washroom. 

That's when he realized Ohno had finished his food. Wow, that was fast. He better eats quickly too. 

However, even after he finished eating, Ohno didn't appear. He started to feel weird about this so he called one of the waiters to ask about Ohno. 

"He already left," The waiter answered. "He said you're going to pay. Are you ready to pay now?" 

Damn! That Maou… urgh!


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning!" Nino greeted his friends in the pantry. He wanted to have a cup of coffee before he began working but when he entered the pantry, Jun, Aiba and Sho were talking merrily and it piqued his interest. Noticing that he still had 30 minutes before office hour began, he took a seat to join their heated conversation. "What are you guys talking about?" 

"Gossiping about you and Ohno san," Jun answered rather bluntly. "We're making a bet," 

"Oh… what kind of bet?" Nino asked even though he kinda had an idea what it was about. Aiba had been asking him about it before. 

"Well… you had been ignoring our boss. So, we wonder what nasty things he did to make you angry," Sho explained. "Or maybe you're angry because of a very stupid reason,"

Nino didn't say anything, only calmly sipping his coffee. It's true he hadn't talked to Ohno for things other than work. It's been two weeks now. 

After Ohno had tricked him into paying for their meals, he decided to give the guy a silent treatment. Whenever he needed to talk with Ohno about work, he would make his face as blank as possible. If Ohno started to talk about things other than work, he would stay silent. Ohno would try to provoke him for a reaction by caressing him. However, unlike before, Nino remained calm and let his boss do as he pleased. And because there was no reaction from him, Ohno sighed in return and stopped touching him.

But, it didn't stop Ohno from trying to engage in a conversation with him. Every day, he would try a different method to make Nino talk with him but Nino simply ignored him. Truthfully, Nino enjoyed watching how desperate Ohno had tried to make a conversation with him. And he was even more delighted when he could turn the smile on Ohno’s face into a frown because of the way he treated Ohno. Serves him right! That’s what he deserved for tricking Nino. 

"Amuse me with what you think, please," he drawled, wondering what stupid idea his friends might have.

"Well…" Aiba started rambling. "You ignored him after both of you went for lunch. So, I think he didn't bring you to a restaurant. Instead, he brought you to a hotel to… you know… to have…" 

"Ewww!" Nino stopped Aiba from continuing. "That is so gross!" 

"See…" Jun smacked Aiba's head. "I've told you. Ohno san is not that kind of person. I'm sure he's going to wait until Nino is ready,"

Nino wanted to argue with Jun on that. Ohno had shamelessly touched him without permission. So, there's a possibility that he might… urgh… Aiba is so stupid. Why did he plant this kind of thought in Nino's mind? It made Nino imagine something stupid.

"How about you, Sho?" He asked, shaking his imagination away. "What boring theory do you have?" 

"My theory is not boring… it's the most sensible," Sho countered. Hmm… he doubted that. Sho is the resident nerd in their circle. He may be a sharp thinker but he always came up with the lamest idea. "There was a beautiful waitress and you saw Ohno talking to her. He probably asked where the washroom was but you thought he was flirting with her. So, now, you ignore him because you're jealous he looked at other girls during your date," 

Nino didn't know how to react. That is so lame, he couldn't even laugh when he heard that. Jealous? That would be the last thing to happen. He had no reason to be jealous at all. 

Without saying anything, he shifted his attention from Sho to Jun, hoping that one of his friends could entertain him with something better.

"Jun, please… You're my last hope," Nino said dramatically. "Humor me with something better than these two," 

Sho rolled his eyes at Nino, certainly annoyed with the way Nino dismissed his thoughts. 

"Don't worry. I'm sure my answer is the most accurate." Jun said with confidence. "I think it has something to do with money," 

"Hoho…" Nino looked at Jun with interest. "What makes you say so?" 

"Well…" Jun grinned. His confidence certainly increased with the attention Nino gave him. "I saw Ohno san tried to give you money. But, you refused to accept it. I'm truly shocked when I saw that, Nino. I cannot believe you say no to money," 

Nino wasn't surprised to hear that. Jun was a keen observer. And it's true. Ohno had tried to pay him back a day after the incident. He had called Nino into the office... but... just like what Jun said, he didn't take the money. It wasn't about money. It's about his pride and dignity. And also something else. 

Hmm… he wondered why Sho didn't notice that. Maybe he wasn't in the office when it happened. 

"You seem to be moving in the right direction," Nino encouraged him to continue, causing Jun to smile triumphantly at Aiba and Sho. The other two could only whimper. 

"Yosh!" Jun cheered. “I thought of two reasons," 

Two reasons? Let's see if Jun had really figured it out. 

"One, maybe you have decided to be generous for the date." Oh, gosh. Nino tried to hide his smile because Jun was going to be wrong. "It should be your treat but you set a limit… well… you're stingy, after all. However, Ohno san ignored the limit and you have to pay more. That's why you're angry with him."

Nino shook his head. "Totally wrong," 

"Okay, this is my second theory…" Jun continued, still not ready to admit his defeat. "It should be his treat. You ordered something pricey because of that. But, when you're done eating, he told you that he forgot his wallet so you have to pay. And you're angry with him because he didn't tell you beforehand. If you know you have to pay for the meals, you will not order something expensive," 

Wow, he was impressed with Jun's deduction. It was almost correct. But, being a brat, he would not admit that. Besides, he had another reason for ignoring Ohno. He was angry at Ohno for tricking him but at the same time, he was also avoiding Ohno because… hmm… let's stop thinking about that. 

"Well… I would say that was about… hmm… 65 per cent correct," 

"Eh? Really?" Jun was surprised. "Yatta! Which part was wrong, then?" 

Nino didn't answer. He simply took his coffee and then walked to his seat. It's time to start working. Plus, if he stayed longer with his friends to talk about this, he might accidentally tell them that he had been tricked by Ohno. He didn't want his friends to know that. How mortifying it would be if they knew he had been tricked by someone like Ohno. And it would be even more embarrassing if they knew it had happened, not only once, but twice. Urgh, he couldn’t imagine the disgrace!

"Good morning," 

As he was reviewing the materials for his presentation tomorrow, Ohno walked in and greeted them. His friends returned the greeting. Nino, on the other hand, pretended not to hear it. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed how Ohno had pouted when he didn't respond to the greeting. Hmm… Ohno looked cute with…

Eh, cute? He shouldn't be thinking of that. 

Urgh, to be honest, after Jun had told him his theory of how Ohno had forgotten his wallet during their lunch date, he had started to look at the incident with a different perspective. Maybe Jun was right. Maybe Ohno had forgotten his wallet and that’s why he had left without paying. 

But… still… it didn’t justify why he had to trick Nino. Wouldn’t it be better if he had been frank about it if it’s the truth? Nino wouldn’t mind paying, as long as Ohno would pay him back. Why left him just like that? What if Nino didn’t have enough money to pay? Had he thought of how embarrassing it would be for Nino if that kind of thing happened? Certainly, he didn’t think of all that before he took off from the restaurant. So, nope! He would not forgive Ohno!

Nino was startled when he saw a waving hand in front of him. He couldn’t stop himself from squealing and it was embarrassing when he heard Aiba and Jun giggling. It was hard not to glare at Ohno when it was revealed the waving hand actually belonged to Ohno. Why did he startle Nino like that? 

“Kazunari…” His heart skipped a beat with the soft way Ohno had said his name. Ohno hadn’t called him like that since he had been ignoring him, resorting to calling him Ninomiya instead. “Are you okay?” 

Ohno looked at him with genuine concern, which made him wonder what had happened earlier. 

“Yes, I’m okay…” He answered. 

“Hmm… are you ready for your presentation tomorrow?” 

Nino nodded his head. 

“Okay, I want you to do a mock presentation for us first. I will give you 10 minutes to get ready,” Ohno instructed with a warm soothing voice. To be honest, Nino was worried that Ohno might revert to his old serious self when he started to ignore his boss. But, thankfully, that wasn't the case. 

“Okay,” Nino said. Ohno then walked into his office. Nino watched his steps. Hmm.. something was wrong with Ohno, he could feel it. What was it? Did it have anything to do with the way Nino treated him? 

“Stop staring, Nino,” Jun distracted him. “If you want to kiss him, just go and attack him,” 

Nino ignored him. He was in no mood to entertain Jun right now. 

“He must be sad because you didn’t answer him,” Aiba interjected. “He called you three times. But, there’s no response from you. That’s why he waved his hand in front of you. Ne, Nino, why are you spacing out just now? I never saw you like that,” 

“I’m just worried about my presentation tomorrow,” Nino lied. “Well, I better get ready, then,” 

Nino quickly walked away, bringing his laptop and notebook to the empty meeting room. It’s better for him to prepare for his presentation than thinking about Ohno. 

The mock presentation went well. Once he was done, his colleagues, mostly Sho, had pointed out a few things that he could improve for the real presentation tomorrow. Ohno didn’t say much, only asked him to clarify a few ambiguous things in his presentation. 

However, he could clearly see that something was bothering Ohno. Yes, he might look blank and expressionless as he always did. But, Nino somehow recognized the look of despair on Ohno’s face. Should he ask him about it? Hmm... maybe not. Perhaps this was Ohno’s tactic to make him talk again. 

Sho, Aiba and Jun left the meeting room while he was checking his presentation slides, leaving him alone with Ohno. He tried not to tense when he noticed Ohno was walking towards him. But, Ohno didn’t say anything even though he had been standing in front of Nino. He lifted his head, trying to see what his boss was up to. 

“Ninomiya…” His boss finally said something after he had looked at him in confusion. 

“Yes, do you have something to say about my presentation?” 

“Yes… it’s perfect. I’m sure our client will be impressed tomorrow,”

Well, it certainly wasn’t the thing Ohno wanted to tell him. Seriously, even though he didn’t want to talk with Ohno, he was curious to know what was bothering him. 

“Anything else you want to tell me? Something that had nothing to do with my presentation?” 

“Hmmm….” Ohno seemed to hesitate. 

“If there’s nothing, I will go first,” He stood up, ready to leave the meeting room. But, Ohno grabbed his hand. Nino glared at him, causing him to quickly release Nino’s hand. 

“I’m busy… just tell me if you need something,” He said, sounding cold. He wondered if he had intimidated Ohno with his tone in the same way Ohno had intimidated him before. 

Ohno, then, took a deep breath before he asked Nino.

“Are you busy next Saturday? My mother invites you to have dinner with us,” 

Nino really wanted to grin widely right now. But, of course, he wouldn't do it in front of Ohno. Ah, the moment for sweet revenge had finally arrived. He's going to savour every moment. 

"Hmmm…" He scratched his chin, pretending to be thinking. "I'm not busy…"

He enjoyed watching how Ohno gulped, waiting for him to confirm that he would go to dinner with his family again. 

"... But I don't want to go," 

Ohno was taken aback with his response. He gazed at him with a pair of puppy eyes, perhaps thinking that Nino might change his mind if he looked at him like that. 

"Please…" Ohno pleaded. 

Nino only stuck his tongue out in return, didn't care that he looked immature for doing so. Oh, the dejected look on Ohno's face right now… it's totally the best expression he had ever seen. 

"You say no?" Aiba asked when they were watching a movie together at home. Nino felt the need to tell someone of his triumph today so he told Aiba about it. Furthermore, only Aiba knew about his meeting with Ohno's family. 

"Of course," He said. "There's no way I'm going out with him again," 

"But… Ohchan looked so down today," Aiba lamented. "Don't you feel bad for him?" 

Nino sighed. Aiba had a soft heart, it was expected he would easily pity someone else. But, Ohno is a Maou. There's no need to pity him. He reaps what he sows. If he didn't lie about Nino to his family, he would never be in this situation. 

"If you feel bad for him, why don't you go with him?" Nino suggested. "Maybe you're the person he told me about," 

"Eh, what did he tell you?" Aiba asked curiously. "What person?" 

Nino fidgetted on his seat. He didn't mean to tell anyone else about that. 

"Nino… please tell me," Aiba urged him again when he didn't say anything. "I will not tell Matsujun and Sho chan about it. You know I can keep a secret, right? I didn't tell them about your meeting with Ohno's family at all," 

"It's nothing, Aiba," He sighed. "It's just… No... I cannot tell you. It's his secret," 

"Oh…" Aiba pouted. "Then, can I ask you something?" 

"What?" 

"Did you ignore Ohchan because you're angry with him or it had something to do with the secret you refuse to tell me about?" 

The question took him by surprise and he didn't know what to answer. He could just say it had nothing to do with his anger towards Ohno but he had a feeling that Aiba would know he was lying.

"I don't want to answer," He decided. If he answered, he might reveal something else to Aiba. Something he didn't understand yet. 

But, it was the wrong move. Aiba was smiling at him, in a creepy way, as if he knew what was bothering him.

"So, what he said affected you, right? Did he tell you he likes you?"

"Ewww… he didn't say he likes me. He said he realized he's a gay recently because he likes a guy," 

Nino immediately closed his mouth when he realized what he had said. But, it was too late. He had told Aiba everything and his idiot friend beamed at him. Damn! How did he become so stupid? If he was tricked by Jun or Sho, he wouldn't care much… but, this is Aiba. Ah, what is wrong with him? 

"Did you ask him who that person is?" 

"No…" He said quickly. "I don't care who that person is. He can like anyone he wants. And, Aiba chan, I want to clarify something. I ignored him because I am angry at him. This thing has nothing to do with it," 

"Nino…" Aiba said, stroking his back. "It's not good to keep lying. Tell me, how do you really feel when he tells you he likes someone?" 

Geez, Aiba is so nosy. He didn't want to answer that. But, he found it difficult to ignore Aiba when his friend was looking at him with concern. Seriously, he should disregard this feeling but something at the back of his mind was telling him to share it with Aiba. 

"I feel…" He tried to look for the right word to describe his feelings. "I'm not happy to know he likes someone because I know I am not that person,"

This was so weird. He never talked about his feelings before. 

"Do you think…" Aiba asked. His voice was filled with kindness. "... that you feel like this because you like him?" 

He didn't answer Aiba. He only stared at his friend, thinking of things that maybe he already knew the answer. 

"I need to do something," He told Aiba. He stood up, took his phone and went to his room.

Wait… was he really going to do this? He hesitated as he stared at the number on his phone. Should he really call him? 

However, before he could decide what to do, he received a call from the person he was thinking about. He was surprised but answered the call, nevertheless. 

"Hello, Ohno san. What do you want?" He asked. He could hear Ohno gasping from the other end, perhaps because he didn't expect Nino would answer his call.

"Ninomiya, thank you so much. I'm so happy you answered my call," Ohno said, sounding relieved. 

"Well, if I didn't answer, you might call me again. So, what do you want?" 

"Well… I want to apologize. I shouldn't do that to you. It was really immature of me…"

"Are you apologizing because you want me to have dinner with your family?" 

"No…" Ohno quickly denied. "It's okay… I will just tell them we broke up… or I could just tell them the truth. They will be sad no matter what I tell them. They really like you,"

"If you don't want to make them sad..." Nino took a deep breath before he continued. "Why don't we make it real?"


	5. Chapter 5

There was a gasp at the other end and then the line was disconnected. 

Damn! How dare Ohno hang up the phone! Nino groaned in dissatisfaction as he stared at the phone, secretly hoping it would ring again. 

It did and Nino almost dropped the phone because he was too surprised. Without wasting any seconds, he answered the call. 

“You’re so stupid!” Nino insulted Ohno without feeling sorry. 

All he heard in response was a mirthless laugh. 

“Why do you hang up the phone, you stupid idiot dumb Maou?” Nino continued his insults when Ohno didn’t say anything. He was aware of what he did. Ohno could fire him. But, at this moment, he was too enraged with Ohno to even care about that. 

However, he was bewildered when Ohno laughed again. A real laugh this time. 

“Are you crazy, Ohno san?” 

“Another insult for me, Ninomiya?” 

“No, I’m just concerned with your state of mind. All you did was laughing. I’m afraid you might go crazy,” 

Once again, Ohno roared with laughter. Yes, it had been confirmed. His boss was insane. 

“If you’re not going to say anything, I will end this call,” Nino said. Once again, Ohno was getting on his nerves. And it made him question what he did just now. Had he gone crazy by asking Ohno to date him for real this time? 

“Don’t be mad, Ninomiya,” Ohno said. There was something playful in his tone. “But, you’re seriously cute when you get angry,” 

Nino was stunned to hear the compliment. He was grateful they were talking through the phone. He didn’t want Ohno to see the blush that he was sure had formed because of what Ohno had said. 

“Why are you so quiet, Kazunari?” The way he said his name… he did it on purpose, Nino knew it. “Are you blushing?” 

And once again, Ohno started laughing hysterically when he didn't respond.

Urgh, he started to regret his decision to ask Ohno out. This was truly a bad idea. 

But, something flashed in his mind, remembering what had happened earlier. How could he forget about Ohno’s parents? He grinned, knowing that he still had an upper hand in this situation. 

“Continue to tease me and you will risk disappointing your parents,” He threatened his boss. 

And the boss stopped laughing, making Nino’s grin even wider.

“Ninomiya…” Ohno said, sounding distressed. No hint of playfulness this time. Ah, he’s going to beg Nino again. Oh, he truly enjoyed the chance to make Ohno suffer again. “I don’t mind. I’ve told you, right? I will tell them the truth,” 

Nino blinked his eyes, clearly perplexed by Ohno’s response. His strategy didn’t work this time. 

“Kazunari…” Ohno said, bringing him back to the conversation he had with Ohno. “... are you still there?” 

“Geez… can you stop calling me Kazunari? Only my family can call me Kazunari!” 

“But I’m going to be a part of your family too, right?” 

Eh, what did Ohno mean by that? He was truly confused right now.

“Did I make you confused? I’m sorry, okay,” Ohno apologized. “Hear me out okay?” 

Nino nodded his head even though Ohno couldn’t see him right now. 

“But, first, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” He didn’t realize he had been holding his phone too tightly. 

“Are you serious about asking me out?” Ohno asked. “Or, did you do it to exact revenge on me?” 

Nino loosened his hold on the phone. To be honest, he didn’t think of revenge at all when he asked Ohno out. And, he felt weird because he wasn’t angry at Ohno for thinking of him like that. If he was in Ohno’s position, he might have the same thought. But, he guessed, he already had enough fun when he gave Ohno silent treatment. 

“No, I am sincere about asking you out. I think I might …” Nino quickly stopped himself when he realized what he was about to say. Damn! That was close!

A soft chuckle was heard from the other end, an indication that Ohno knew what he was about to say. 

“Why do you stop? I want to hear your confession,” Of course, Ohno took the chance to tease him. “Please tell me you like me,” 

“Don’t be so full of yourself, you stupid idiot dumb Maou,” Nino gritted his teeth, feeling angry at himself for allowing Ohno a chance to tease him. 

“Hahahaha…” Ohno laughed. Nino tilted his head, wondering why he liked the sound of Ohno’s laughter now. He used to loathe it before this. 

“It’s okay. Let me have the honour of confessing then,” Ohno continued. Nino couldn’t believe what Ohno had said. He wanted to confess… did that mean, Nino was the person he likes? 

“Ninomiya Kazunari, I like you,” 

Oh my God! Ohno had just confessed to him! What should he say? 

“It’s not romantic at all to confess through a phone call,” Nino remarked, trying to hide how happy he was by making a blunt comment. 

“Believe me, dearie, I wish that I could do it differently,” Ohno responded. “But, I couldn’t keep it any longer. How about this? Let’s have lunch together tomorrow and we can talk more,” 

“Sure…” Nino agreed. “But, you have to pay this time. I will not let you out my sight at all, not even for the washroom,” 

All he received in response was Ohno’s hearty laugh. 

“I’m serious,” He said. 

“Okay, I will pay this time. No more trick,” Ohno promised. “It’s late. You should go to sleep. You have an important presentation tomorrow,” 

“Hmmm… Good night, Ohchan,” 

“Good night, Kazunari. Dream of me, okay,” 

“Don’t want!” 

Nino ended the call before Ohno could say more cheesy lines. He felt giddy, thinking of the conversation he had with Ohno earlier. But, then, his eyes caught something. His door was ajar and he could see Aiba spying on him from the other side. How long had he been there? Did he hear the whole conversation? 

Having realized that he had been noticed, Aiba opened the door widely with a huge grin plastered on his face. 

“That’s so romantic!” Aiba said, clasping his hands together with a dreamy look. 

Nino responded by throwing a pillow at his friend and Aiba quickly ran while giggling like a hyena. 

“You’re early,” Nino remarked when Ohno entered the pantry as he was sipping his coffee. He came early to practice for his presentation once again. He didn’t come alone, Aiba was with him, but the other guy went to the washroom as soon as they’d arrived at the office. 

“I couldn’t wait to see my boyfriend,” Ohno answered, putting a kiss on Nino’s forehead. Nino tried to avoid looking at Ohno, pretty sure he was blushing right now and if Ohno saw the blush, he would definitely tease him again. 

“Who said I’m your boyfriend?” He retorted as a way to hide his embarrassment. 

“Who said I’m talking about you?” Ohno quickly replied, making him confused. However, when Ohno smirked at him, he threw the tissue box at his boss. Urgh, Ohno seriously enjoyed teasing him. Maybe he should stay calm so that he won’t be flustered and ended up embarrassing himself. 

“So, did you dream of me yesterday?” Ohno asked, taking a seat next to him. 

“Of course, not!” Nino answered. “It would be a nightmare,”

Ohno simply chuckled before he put his head on Nino’s shoulder. Without thinking, Nino started to caress his head, making Ohno purr in return. 

“So, are we really dating now?” He asked timidly. Ohno had confessed but he was still worried. 

“Of course!” Ohno answered, quickly raising his head from Nino’s shoulder to face him. “You like me. I like you. So, of course, we’re really dating. Why? Do you think I’m tricking you again?” 

“Who knows?” He simply shrugged. A voice at the back of his mind was telling him that Ohno was tricking him again. But, he decided to ignore the voice and believe Ohno. It’s risky but he was ready to accept the consequence if Ohno was indeed tricking him again. 

“Hey…” Ohno called him softly. He lifted Nino’s face to make him look straight into his eyes. Nino gazed into his eyes, wondering if Ohno knew what was bothering him. “I know we started this relationship in a weird way. This is the first time I become someone’s boss and I don’t know how to be one. I just… I think… If I am solemn and serious… maybe it’s the best way to control all of you.”

Nino gave him a small smile, remembering how Ohno was in the beginning. It seemed like a long time ago but actually, it had only been a month since he met Ohno for the first time. He guessed the image that his boss portrayed before this wasn’t the real him. He had seen how Ohno was with his family. That was the real him, which was similar to how he acted around them now. 

“And when I first met you… when I look at you… hmm… I don’t know how to describe that feeling… but it was intense… and I realize that I like you,” Nino hoped he wasn’t blushing. But, even if he was blushing, Ohno might not realize it. “Then, I overheard your conversation with Matsumoto san… And all I could think about… I just want you to change your opinion about me. Then, my mother told me about the family dinner and it gave me an idea to trick you…” Ohno stopped for a while, letting out a cute chuckle. “... But, maybe I went overboard with this whole tricking you things… I learn my lesson when you ignore me. This time, there’s no trick. I didn’t want you to ignore me again. It was… It’s like I was in hell,”

Nino couldn’t help but laugh at that. Ohno was clearly being dramatic about the last part. However, before he could say anything, he heard someone sobbing and it caught his attention. He looked over Ohno, gasping in horror to see Aiba, Jun and Sho stood at the door with Aiba wiping tears from his face. How long had they been there? Did they hear the conversation? 

“That was beautiful!” Aiba was wailing. Sho patted Aiba’s back, trying to comfort him while Jun… well, he bet the same expression was on his face right now. A look of disbelief to see Aiba crying because of what Ohno had said. 

“Kazunari, you should be the one crying, not Aiba san,” Ohno teased. Nino only stuck out his tongue at Ohno before he gave his attention to the trio at the door. 

“How long have you been there?” He asked. 

“Long enough to know that you’ve been tricked by Ohno san,” Jun smirked. Nino glared at him. “I would love to know the details, Ohno san,” 

“I will happily tell you about it, Matsumoto san,” Ohno complied with a slight nod to Jun. 

“If you tell him, I will not talk to you anymore,” Nino pouted.

“Ah…” Ohno pretended to look troubled. “I cannot tell you, Matsumoto san. I don’t want my Kazunari to ignore me again,” 

This time, Nino stuck his tongue out at Jun but his friend ignored him.

“Are you ready for your presentation, Nino?” Sho asked. Nino nodded his head. 

“Are you nervous?” This time, it was Ohno who asked. Nino shook his head. He rarely felt nervous for a presentation. 

“I’m more nervous to go out for lunch with you,” Nino said. 

“Why?” Ohno tilted his head. “Are you afraid I will leave you to pay again?” 

The words were out before Nino could stop him. Upon hearing that, Jun smiled triumphantly at him. 

“So, that’s why you ignore Ohno san?” Jun asked, evidently happy with what he heard. “He tricked you into paying. Ah, if only I was there to see your face,” 

“Shut up!” 

Nino stormed off as the others laughed, hoping Ohno would follow him. He ran into the meeting room and smiled when he heard the door opened behind him. He turned around, standing face to face with Ohno, who quickly wrapped his arms around Nino's waist. 

The two of them stared into each other before Ohno leaned forward to plant a kiss on his lips. Nino happily responded. 

"Ready to go, Kazunari?" Ohno asked. Nino nodded his head as he stood up. His presentation went well and he kept smiling, thinking of the compliment he received from the client. Or maybe, he was smiling because of other things too. 

"Yes…" Nino said. "I want to order the most expensive meal in the restaurant," 

"You can order anything you want, my love," Ohno said. Nino glanced at his friends to see their response. Aiba, as expected, was grinning. Sho pretended to ignore them while Jun made a gesture as if he wanted to vomit. "In case you're worried that I might trick you again, you can keep my wallet," 

Ohno handed him his wallet. 

"Nah…" Nino pushed the wallet away. "I trust you," He really meant it. He really trusted Ohno. After all, in order to make this relationship work, they had to trust each other.

"Well, if you say that, let's…"

Nino was confused when Ohno suddenly ceased talking. His attention was elsewhere. Ohno was looking at a woman outside of their office. The woman then entered their office and Nino could feel Ohno went still. 

"Serina nee-chan," Ohno mumbled next to him. 

The woman, who Nino assumed was Serina, looked at them and her eyes beamed with happiness as she noticed Ohno. He quickly ran towards Ohno and hugged him, pushing Nino aside in order to do so. Everyone else, especially Nino, gasped when she suddenly kissed Ohno's cheeks.

"Satoshi!" Serina said excitedly. "Wah… it's been a while, ne? You're so handsome now," 

Serina went ahead and pinched Ohno's cheeks. It made Nino wonder who the woman really was. She seemed to be close to Ohno. She had called him by his first name and shamelessly hugged and kissed his boyfriend. And it made Nino feel… No, he shook his head, trying to deny what he truly felt. No, he wasn't jealous… he was just… he was just curious. Yes, he was just curious, Nino reassured himself. 

"Ah, I still remember how you always followed me back then. You're so in love with me, ne?" Serina continued babbling while Ohno stayed silent. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around Ohno's waist. Nino wasn't angry at her. He was angry at Ohno for not pushing her away. 

But, he did push her a second after that. Serina didn't seem to be surprised by that. She looked at them before giving her attention to Ohno again. 

"Sorry to embarrass you in front of your staff," She said. The way she talked… it ticked him off. It's like she was trying to be cute but she wasn't cute at all. "I can't believe it when your sister told me you're a manager now," 

Ohno looked bashful with the compliment but tried to hide it with a small smile. "What are you doing here, Serina nee-chan?" 

"I'm working here!" Serina announced happily. Ohno's eyes widened in surprise. "In the accounting department," 

"But… I thought…" 

Nino glared at the two of them even though he knew neither would see it. How dare Serina flirt with his boyfriend? And how dare Ohno flirt with her too? Urgh, he should be punished. 

"I decided to move back here because I miss you so much, Satoshi!" Serina said, trying once again to appear cute. "Ne, as we're finally reunited, let's have lunch together. We have a lot to catch up,"


	6. Chapter 6

Did she ask Ohno to have lunch with her? That's outrageous! 

His chest tightened watching the way Ohno smiled at Serina. Ah, there's no doubt! He's going to say yes, forgetting his promise to have lunch with Nino today. Maybe Ohno had even forgotten Nino was still there, watching him flirting with another woman. Ah, this was so...

Nino blinked his eyes in surprise when he felt something warm on his forehead. When he realized it was a kiss from Ohno, he started to feel embarrassed, especially when he heard a giggle that was unmistakably from Aiba.

"You're miles away, Kazunari," Ohno was mere inches from him, staring at him with a smirk. His heart pounding harder under the intense stare. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing…" To avoid Ohno's stare, he looked around the office. His friends were watching them, trying hard to stifle their laugh before they excused themselves to go out for lunch. And Serina was still here, watching the two of them with jealousy evident in her eyes. 

"Do you always kiss your staff, Satoshi?" Serina asked, diverting Ohno's attention from Nino. "Be careful. I don't want you to get reported for harassing your staff," 

Ohno responded with a cute chuckle. His eyes were once again staring at Nino as he rested his arm around Nino's waist. "Don't worry. He's more than just my staff. He's my boyfriend," 

Serina went rigid to hear the declaration from Ohno about them. Her eyes and mouth were wide opened, gasping because of the news. However, a minute later, she burst out laughing.

"This is not funny, Satoshi," 

"And I'm not making any jokes, Serina nee-chan," 

"I thought…" Serina seemed to be at a loss of what to say. She looked at the two of them, focusing on the way Ohno's arm lingered around his waist. "Your sister told me about this. I thought she was just bluffing to make me return," 

Ohno only smiled in return.

"Well, but we can still eat together, right?" Serina asked. "I still want to catch up with you." 

"Well… is it okay if Serina nee-chan joins us, Kazunari?" Ohno asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Huh?" 

Nino was lost in his own thoughts. He heard the two of them talking but he didn't really pay attention. He couldn't take his mind off thinking of what Serina had just said. About the possibility of his relationship with Ohno as a bluff to make her return from wherever she was before. What if it was true? That would totally explain why Ohno brought him to meet his family. But, that would mean… Ohno was lying about his feelings. No, he didn't want to think of Ohno like that. 

"Are you okay, Kazunari?" Ohno asked, flicking his nose. Ohno had looked at him with affection. But, what if it was just an act? Urgh, he should really stop thinking about this. He shouldn't doubt Ohno.

"Of course I am okay," Nino said, trying his best to act like his usual bratty self. He didn't want Ohno to know what was bothering him. "Sorry for not paying attention. I suddenly have an idea to clear a game level that I have been stuck on for a while. Did you ask me something?" 

Ohno pouted in return, retracting the hand that was around his waist to cross his arms and pretending to be sulking. "How could you think of your game when you're with me?" 

Nino stuck out his tongue at Ohno. Should he point out that Ohno had just flirted with a woman in front of him? Better not. He would sound like a jealous boyfriend, which he clearly wasn't.

"I'm hungry," He said, rubbing his belly. "Can we go now?" 

"That's what I've been asking you, my dear. Is it okay if Serina nee-chan comes with us?" 

What? Ohno wanted Serina to eat with them? How could he? Weren't they supposed to talk more about their relationship during lunch? So why would he invite Serina? 

But, if he said no, it would show that he was jealous. But, he wasn't jealous. He was just unhappy. So, even though he didn't want Serina around, he begrudgingly agreed. 

He regretted the decision almost immediately. 

They walked together to a restaurant near the office. Nino pouted the whole time as Ohno gave his attention only to Serina despite holding hands with Nino. And he hated it. It felt like he was the third wheel, not Serina. 

The two of them talked about something that he couldn't interject at all. Apparently, Serina was a friend of Ohno's sister in school. They were close and Serina often came to Ohno's house. But, Serina accepted a job offer from New York five years ago and since then, they hadn’t contacted each other.

"You look different, Satoshi," Serina commented while they were waiting for their food. 

She was clearly trying to seduce Ohno. The way she ran her fingers through her hair and then tilted her head to expose her neck… that was enough to tell Nino of her intention. However, Ohno seemed to be oblivious, or perhaps pretending to be oblivious, with her intention. He still treated her nicely. 

“Different?” He scratched his head. “I feel the same, Nee-chan,” 

Serina laughed in response. The way she covered her mouth as she laughed… urgh, it looked so fake for Nino. 

“You look more confident, Satoshi,” She clarified. Twin spots of red appeared on Ohno’s cheeks as he smiled shyly at her. “And it makes you look even more attractive,” 

Wow, she’s being so direct here! 

And she got bolder as she tried to extend her hand, trying to reach for Ohno’s hands on the table. However, much to Nino's surprise, Ohno quickly moved his hands away, putting one of them around Nino’s shoulder while the other rested on his lap.

“Thanks to Kazunari, I guess,” He said. 

If Serina was disappointed with the way Ohno rejected her advancement, she didn’t show it. Instead, she only smiled at them as if to show she wasn’t going to give up. Urgh, this woman had no shame! How could she try to seduce Ohno in front of him? 

Their food arrived and Serina pretended to be interested in Nino by asking Nino to talk about himself. Nino only told her bare minimum, feeling uneasy to reveal personal stuff about him. Realizing that Nino wasn’t going to talk more, she shifted her attention to Ohno again. 

“Do you still go fishing, Satoshi?” She asked, glancing slyly at Nino. Why did she give him that look? Did she want to show that she knew more about Ohno than him? Well, he didn’t care. She had known Ohno longer than Nino so it made sense for her to know more. 

“Not really…” Ohno answered. “I don’t have time,” 

“Well, if you want to go, bring me too!” 

“Eh?” Ohno sounded surprised. “I thought you hate fishing,” 

“Well, I have a change of heart,” She answered, winking at Ohno. 

But, Ohno ignored her, pretending not to see the wink, much to Nino’s pleasure. 

In fact, that was what Ohno did each time she tried to get his attention. Instead of responding to her, Ohno would pamper Nino instead. And she didn’t bother to hide her dismay at all. To be honest, Nino wanted to enjoy the moment. But, a voice at the back of his mind was telling him that Ohno was pampering him to make Serina jealous. He tried to ignore the voice but it was too loud. 

“It is nice talking to you today, Satoshi,” She said as they waited for the bill. “And nice to meet you, Ninomiya san,” 

Nino only smiled slightly. No, he didn’t really enjoy having her ruining his lunch date with Ohno. Yes, Ohno was pampering him but what if there’s an ulterior motive behind it? He couldn’t shake the thought out of his mind. 

Once they were out of the restaurant, she excused herself because she had something to do. Good riddance. That’s what she should do from the beginning. 

Both Ohno and Nino then started walking back to the office. He stayed silent, not really knowing what to say. 

“Are you angry, Kazunari?” Ohno asked once they were back in the office. Aiba, Jun and Sho were in the pantry, judging from the noise. 

“Huh?” Nino feigned surprise. “No… I don’t have any reason to be angry,” 

He wanted to go to his seat but Ohno pulled him into his embrace. 

“You’re angry. I know that. I’m sorry for letting her join our lunch. But I have a reason to do so,” 

“Why? To make her jealous?” He said, pushing Ohno away. 

“Huh? You’re being ridiculous, Kazunari!” Ohno laughed. But, he immediately stopped when he realized Nino was serious. 

“You have feelings for her, right?” He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to tell Ohno what he was really thinking about. But, he couldn’t stop himself. “You brought me to see your family. Then, your sister told her about me. So, she returned to Japan to get you back. And poof, you will have your happy ever after with her. Ohchan, I really like you, you know. Why are you using me? How could you play with my feelings like this!” 

His voice was too loud, causing his friends to come out of the pantry to see what’s happening. When he saw them, he felt embarrassed for bursting out his feelings. 

“Kazunari…” Ohno called him gently, reaching out to touch him. But, he pushed his hands away. 

“I have work to do. Don’t bother me,” 

He was in a bad mood for the rest of the week. Thank God, it happened on Thursday, so he only had one day and a half to look at Ohno’s face. His boss tried to talk with him but of course, he ignored him again. He was an expert in ignoring people, after all. 

His friends tried to advise him, but he quickly changed the topic whenever one of them started to talk about it. If they thought of him as immature, he didn't give a damn care. 

And finally, the weekend had arrived. He spent the entire Friday night playing games to stop thinking about what happened. He did wonder if perhaps he had acted rashly by accusing Ohno like that. Maybe it wasn’t what he thought. But, he was too prideful to admit he was wrong. So, he didn’t do anything about it. 

When he woke up on Saturday, it was almost 1 PM. His stomach was growling, asking him to eat. Well, he skipped dinner last night so that would explain why he was famished. 

He went out to the kitchen, hoping Aiba had prepared lunch. If not, he would just pour milk and eat cereals. Aiba was not in the living room but he heard a noise from the kitchen. Someone was happily singing while cooking but it didn’t sound like Aiba. The voice was too soothing to be Aiba’s voice. He’s not saying Aiba’s voice was terrible but this voice was better than Aiba. It sounded like… 

His eyes were wide awake when he realized who the owner of the voice was. He wanted to turn around, not ready to face the person yet. But, he froze on the spot when that person beat him to it. 

“Kazunari?” Ohno said. 

He was wearing the apron that Nino often used when he cooked. It was a yellow apron with blue flowers. It looked feminine but he didn't mind because the apron was cute and he loved it. Ohno was holding a ladle with his right hand. Nino wanted to laugh because it was funny to see Ohno like this, something that he would never expect before. But, as he was still angry with Ohno, he only glared at him as he walked to the refrigerator and took a glass of milk to drink. 

“Why are you surprised to see me? This is my house,” He scowled at Ohno. “What are you doing in my house? Should I call the police?” 

“Making lunch for you,” Ohno answered. “I’ve been here since morning because I want to have breakfast with you. But, you woke up late. And you don’t have to call the police. Aiba chan let me into your house,” 

“I’ve told you to stop bothering me, right?” 

“And I’ve told you, it feels like I’m in hell when you ignore me,”

Nino was taken aback by the response. He didn’t expect Ohno would retort like that. It was something that Ohno had said during his confession. He had promised there would be no more tricks because he couldn't take it if Nino ignored him again. Thinking of how sincere Ohno looked when he confessed his feelings, Nino admitted that he might be wrong about Serina. 

"I'm sorry for being childish and immature," He mumbled. He lowered his face, couldn't bring himself to look at Ohno because of how ashamed he was to accuse Ohno without thinking. 

Ohno went to him and hugged him tightly. He simply let him do so because he missed being so close to Ohno. He wondered what perfume Ohno used because the scent was so comforting. But, both of them were surprised when they smelled something burning. 

"OMG!" Ohno shouted, releasing him from his tight embrace. "I forgot to turn off the stove," 

Nino only laughed as he watched Ohno take care of the mess he had made. He never expected to see Ohno make a careless mistake like this. 

"Laugh all you want, Kazunari…" Ohno pouted. "But, we don't have anything to eat for lunch now. I'm too lazy to cook again," 

"It's okay. I'll cook for you," Ohno beamed with happiness when he heard that. Well, that's the least he could do to apologize for accusing Ohno. "Let me eat some bread first, okay? I'm starving,"

Once he was done eating, he started preparing to cook. He put some vegetables on the table and looked at Ohno expectantly. 

"Do you want me to cut the vegetables?" Ohno asked, raising one of his eyebrows. Nino only grinned in return, handing him a knife. 

"I thought you want to cook for me," 

"Hmmm…" Nino drawled. "I just think it will be sweet if we cook together," 

Ohno rolled his eyes, taking the knife from Nino. "You lazy bum. You're lucky I love you,"

"I know," Nino scrunched his nose. "So, where is Aiba chan?" 

"Going out with Sakurai san, that's what he told me," 

"How about Jun Kun? Did he go with them?" 

Ohno shook his head. "He didn't say anything about Matsumoto san," 

Oh… did one of them finally take an initiative? He cannot wait to ask Aiba about it. 

But, let’s put aside Aiba and Sho first. For now… he had other things to do.

"So…" he began. "About you and Serina… do you mind telling me more about your relationship with her?"

Ohno didn’t seem surprised by the question. But, he did look uncomfortable. 

“Do we have to put carrots in?” Instead of answering, Ohno pointed at the carrots on the table. “I don’t like them,” 

“Okay, I will put a lot of carrots in the dish, then,” Nino stuck out his tongue at him, not really going to do what he said. “Tell me about her, please,” 

Nino gave him his best puppy eyes. He knew Ohno was weak against it. So, with a sigh, he began. 

“She is…”


	7. Chapter 7

“She is someone that I used to like but she used me,” 

Oh… that was their relationship. 

It wasn’t a surprise to know they were not ex-lovers. His reason was simple. Ohno kept calling her Serina nee-chan. If there's something romantic between them, he would call her something else. Something cuter. Maybe Rina.

But, that wasn't his concern right now. He wanted to know how the bitch had used Ohno. But, before he could ask, Ohno's phone started to ring. 

"Should I answer the call?" Ohno asked, glancing at his phone on the table. "No caller ID," 

"Just reject the call, then," He suggested. Ohno did as he was told. 

But, the phone rang again mere minutes after that. And once again, Ohno rejected the call. 

"If the same number calls again, just answer it," Nino said. "It could be something important if the caller is persistent," 

And, as soon as Nino said that, the same person called again. With a sigh, Ohno answered the call and put it on loudspeaker so Nino could hear the conversation as well. 

"Hello, Satoshi!" The cheerful voice of Serina greeted them, causing Nino to scowl. No wonder the phone didn't stop ringing. Urgh, she always knew how to bother them. How did she know Ohno was with him? "Why did you reject my call, Satoshi?" 

Ohno glanced at him, seeming uncertain to continue the conversation. But, Nino only gave him a smile to let him know he's okay. In fact, he wanted to know what she's up to this time.

"Sorry, nee-chan. I didn't know it was you. I thought it was a scammer," 

Nino almost laughed. A scammer? Somehow, it sounded like Ohno was mocking her by calling her that. 

"You didn't have my number?" She said, sounding dejected. "How could you?" 

Did she think it was cute of her to act like this? No, it's not cute at all. 

"Why do you call, nee-chan?" Ohno asked. He didn't even try to hide how unhappy he was. "I'm kinda busy right now," 

"Oh…" She didn't sound flirty this time. It must be frustrating for her as Ohno was once again neglecting her. "Can you come to my house? I need help to set up my furniture," 

She sounded hopeful. Hearing her request, Nino instantly felt worried. Maybe she really needed Ohno's help. But, maybe she also had another reason for asking him. Alone with her in the house… who knows what she might do to Ohno? Hopefully, Ohno won't agree. 

"Sorry, nee-chan," Ohno apologized, looking straight at Nino this time. "I have something to do. So, I cannot go to your house," 

Serina stayed silent. She didn't say anything. It was too quiet which made Nino think that she had already ended the call. But, she was still there as they could still hear her breathing. 

"Satoshi…" She suddenly started to whine. "You have changed!”

“Serina nee-chan…” Ohno looked guilty. Nino felt sorry at Ohno for having someone like Serina in his life. She was so unreasonable. “I’m still the same person,” 

“No…” She continued grumbling. Truthfully, Nino wanted to interfere but… Hmmm… He should probably let Ohno settle this. He believed Ohno knew how to handle Serina. “Before this, if I need anything, you will come straight away. But, now…” 

“It’s because the situation is different now. I have…” 

“See… That’s why I say you’ve changed. You put him before me,” 

“Serina nee-chan…” Ohno took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. Nino was amused that Ohno could remain calm in this situation. If it was him, he didn’t think Serina would dare to throw a tantrum like this. “As I said, the situation is different. I have Kazunari now. I cannot go to you when you need help if Kazunari also needs me,” 

“But…”

“I’m sorry but I cannot help you. Kazunari is not feeling well so I have to take care of him. If you need to do it today, just get someone else to help you. Bye,” 

Nino almost gasped when Ohno suddenly ended the call when Serina hadn’t finished talking yet. In fact, he even switched off his phone. Wow, that was unbelievable! He certainly didn’t expect Ohno would treat her like this. 

Ohno looked pissed off when he put the phone away and it made Nino feel anxious to talk to him. But, when he cast a look at Nino’s direction, he smiled softly. 

“Sorry for that,” Ohno apologized. Nino returned the smile and started to caress Ohno’s back softly, hoping to ease the tension that he felt right now. Ohno gave him another fond smile before putting his head on Nino’s shoulder, whispering words of love. Thank God Aiba wasn’t here. He didn’t want Aiba to see how his face turned red because of Ohno. 

“It’s not good to lie, Satoshi…” Nino said, trying to stop Ohno from being sappy. 

“What did you say?” Ohno raised himself and turned sharply to look at Nino with eyes opened widely.

“I say… it’s not good to lie,” 

“No… not that. I mean what did you call me?” 

Oh…

Nino could feel himself flushing remembering what he had called Ohno just now. He had called Ohno by his first name for the first time. Urgh, it’s embarrassing!

“What…” Nino tried to hide how he truly felt. “If she can call you Satoshi, I should call you Satoshi too,” 

“Of course you can!” Ohno leaned forward and put a kiss at the corner of his lips. “But, I love the nickname you gave me before,” 

“Oh… Do you mean stupid idiot dumb Maou? It’s too long to say, you know,” Nino retorted. “Anyway, why do you lie to her?” 

“Hmm…” Ohno tilted his head and tapped his chin. “I didn’t lie to her,” 

“You said I’m not feeling well. As you can see, I’m perfectly healthy,” 

“Well… physically. Emotionally, you’re in a bad mood because of her,” Ohno countered, which made Nino speechless as he remembered what had happened. “So, I’m here to… you know… to assure you of how much I love you,” 

“Shut up!” Nino said, feeling embarrassed once again. “You better cut the vegetables or we will not have anything to eat for lunch,” 

Ohno simply chuckled as he continued to cut the vegetables while Nino prepared the meat. They were surrounded by a comfortable silence before Nino realized that Ohno hadn’t told him yet what happened between him and Serina in the past. But, he decided to wait until they eat before resuming the conversation. 

“Say…” He initiated the conversation as both of them were relaxing together in the living room after eating. He lied on the couch, using Ohno’s lap as a pillow. “How did she use you?” 

Hopefully, Ohno would answer him. But, if he didn’t want to do so, Nino was okay with it. He could guess it was something similar to what happened today. 

“Hmm…” Ohno looked ready this time to answer. Maybe it’s because Nino had seen a glimpse of his relationship with Serina. “Do you think she is pretty?” 

Nino rolled his eyes at Ohno, totally didn’t expect that would be how Ohno would answer his question. He chose not to answer. Serina might be pretty but the way she behaved ticked him off. 

“She was always in our house, hanging out with my sister. Talking. Gossiping,” Ohno resumed when Nino didn’t answer him. “I was a bit weird at school so I don’t really have a friend. Some people bullied me but Serina nee-chan… hmmm… she’s always nice to me and it makes me like her,” 

Nino simply listened. He wondered how the story would go and if it was the same as what he imagined. 

“She was in a bad relationship and she had started to change since then. But, she was still nice to me,” 

“What kind of relationship?” Nino asked curiously. 

“Hmm… I don’t really know the details. But, after she broke up with her boyfriend, as I said, she was different. Hmm... how to explain?” Ohno scratched his head. It was cute to see Ohno being clueless like that. “She constantly changed her boyfriend,” 

“But… she was never in a relationship with you?”

Nino asked for confirmation and Ohno shook his head. 

“She knows I like her but she didn’t want to be with me. She didn’t like me in the same way, that’s what she said. I was… hmmm… you know… like…"

Seeing Ohno struggle to find the right words to explain was totally enjoyable for Nino. So he laughed.

"I don't want to tell you anymore," Ohno pouted

"Awww… please don't be like this. I will not laugh again," Nino raised his right hand as a promise. Ohno was still pouting so Nino pulled him closer and kissed him. After the short kiss, Ohno had a smile on his face again. 

"You're really good at seducing, Kazunari," Ohno pinched his cheek. 

"Stop pinching my cheek and continue," 

"Hmmm… don't laugh again, okay?" 

"Yes, I promise,"

Ohno narrowed his eyes, clearly doubting Nino's promise. But, he continued the story despite his doubt. 

"Serina nee-chan… after her first breakup, she always wants people to treasure her. And she kept me around her because she knows my feelings. She knows that no matter what, I will always put her first. Even if she broke up with her boyfriend, she had me to cheer her up. It made her feel good to know that at least one person, which is me, loves her," 

"And you're okay with that?" Nino asked. He didn't really understand but he thought it was twisted to treat people like that. Maybe she had become like that because of her first boyfriend and he ought to feel sorry for her. But, with the way she tried to bother them, urgh, Nah… 

"I was young and naive. I just thought it's okay to be treated like that as long as she keeps me with her even if it's not in the way that I want. I didn't realize I was just her toy to make her feel loved and wanted. My naive self simply hoped that one day she will realize that she actually loves me," 

"Maybe she loves you. Look at the way she…" 

"Nah…" Ohno stopped him with a finger on his lips. "She is just unhappy to know that I have moved on from her,"

"When did you get out of that unhealthy relationship?" 

"When she left for New York without telling me," Ohno said. There was a distant look in his eyes. "When I was with her… my confidence level was really low. I kept thinking about why she rejected me. She made me think that I'm not good enough for her. And then she left me. Without saying goodbye. I was depressed. After everything that had happened, she just left me. Can you imagine how I feel?" 

Nino felt like Ohno wasn't really asking him. It was just his way of expressing his feelings. So, he didn't answer him. 

"And then I saw my angel two years ago," A weird smile was on Ohno's face. "We haven't known each other yet, right, at that time. But, I saw you during a break, trying to comfort a girl who was just rejected by the guy she likes,"

What Ohno said was just too familiar for him. He remembered that day as if it had happened yesterday. It was around the time he started working here. And he recalled what he had said to the girl when he saw her crying. 

"It's his loss, right? Not yours. Just because he doesn't think you're good enough for him, it doesn't mean everyone will think of you like that. One day, you will find someone who knows how to appreciate you and you will think it was really silly of you to cry for him today," 

Ohno said the exact words that he had told the girl on that day. He was surprised, totally didn't expect he had an audience on that day. 

"It changed me. I've started to see things in a different way. I realized that my life doesn't revolve around her and I started to feel confident with myself," 

Nino didn't know what to say. He thought this would be a story of Ohno and Serina. He didn't expect to be involved in the story like this. 

Ah… he widened his eyes, recalling what Ohno had told Serina during lunch. About how Ohno had become more confident because of him. He thought it was just something he said to annoy Serina. But… Ohno had really meant it. 

"And you like me since that day?" He asked. Ohno laughed in response. 

"Of course not. I didn't know you," Ohno answered. "And I didn't see you anymore after that. But, when we met again, I think it was destiny. And when I see you with your friends… it made me like you. You look like a bully… with how you often make fun of others especially Aiba chan. But, I can see how much you care for them despite your harsh words. It was totally different from Serina chan. She treated me nicely but she was actually using me," 

"Sweet talker," Nino retorted. To be honest, he didn't know how to react. Ohno knew him well. 

"And about our lunch date… sorry for ruining it…" 

"Why do you bring her?" Nino asked. The lunch date was a disaster, thanks to her. But, there's a silver lining after all.

"Because I know she will keep pestering me. I don't want to be alone with her anymore. And I think it will be a perfect way to let her know that I have moved on. But, I don't think it works because she is still bothering us," 

Ah… the phone call this afternoon. Did she understand that Ohno didn't want her anymore? Nah… Nino was sure she would bother them again. And he had to be ready for it. 

But… let's not think about her right now. It's time to focus on Ohno. He sat on Ohno's lap, ready to kiss him when the door was opened. 

"Eh?" Aiba asked innocently when Nino glared at him. "Did I interrupt something?" 

"Aren't you too early to return from your date with Sho chan?" Nino asked, didn't bother to hide his annoyance because he had been interrupted by Aiba again. 

"It's not a date," Aiba quickly denied even though his face was red. Nino immediately stood up from Ohno and approached Aiba, deciding to tease his friend instead. 

"Then what is it?" 

"Just going out with a friend," Another denial. "I don't want to bother you and Ohchan. So, I asked Sho chan and Matsujun to go out. But, Matsujun has something else to do. That's why I was alone with Sho chan," 

"Ah…" Made sense. But, of course, Nino still wanted to tease him because he knew Aiba and Sho like each other. "It's not good to be in denial, Aiba chan," 

He used Aiba's own advice against him. 

"Not in denial," Aiba clarified. "Just enjoy your time with Ohchan. I want to take something and don't worry, I will not come home tonight. I'll sleep in Sho chan's house," 

"Wow!" Nino whistled. "You guys are fast," 

"Not to do what you think." Aiba smacked his head. 

"Okay, whatever," He stuck his tongue out at Aiba. "Satoshi, let's go to my bedroom. Less distraction," 

When he arrived at work on Monday with Aiba, Sho and Jun were already there. And, someone else was with them. It was Serina. Urgh, it's early in the morning and she already spoiled his mood to see her face.

"If you want to see Satoshi…" he said without looking at her. "... he will come late. He has a meeting outside," 

It's not true. But, he wanted her gone before Ohno arrived. 

"It's not him I want to see," Serina said. She didn't speak in her usual acting cute kind of way. Her tone was cold. "I want to see you,"


	8. Chapter 8

“Ah… Me?” Nino pointed to himself, sneering at her. He wasn’t surprised to know she wanted to see him. In fact, he was looking forward to it. He wanted her to know that she chose the wrong person to mess with. “But, I don’t want to see you,” 

Nino could see from her reaction that she was annoyed by him. But… well… he didn’t care. 

“You have an attitude, huh…” She remarked, trying to remain composed. 

“Not as good as you,” He answered, hoping to annoy her more. “I’m a busy man. I don’t have time for you. Same goes for Satoshi. So, stop bothering him, okay?” 

She only laughed in response. “We are so similar. Maybe that’s why Satoshi is attracted to you. He sees me in you,” 

Nino tried not to scoff at her. He wasn’t angry because she said Ohno saw her in him. But, he was angry because she said they were similar. Urgh, he didn’t want to be in the same category as her. 

“Whatever… Like I care,” 

She gritted her teeth in response. His lack of interest to hear what she wanted to talk about angered her and he enjoyed watching how she glared at him with hatred. 

Sensing the weird tension between the two of them, Sho decided to interfere. “Miss, I think it’s better…” 

“Shut up!” 

This time, she glared at Sho. And even though Jun and Aiba didn’t say anything, she gave them the same look. So rude! Seriously, how did Ohno fall in love with her? Was she really nice to him? Ever since Nino met her, she had been nothing but rude. He didn’t mean to belittle her but… seriously… he didn’t think she was capable to use anyone. She didn’t seem smart. But, maybe staying too far from Ohno had made her rusty. 

“Gloat all you want, Ninomiya,” She threatened him. “But, this isn’t over yet. Why don’t you leave Satoshi? It will spare you from the humiliation that you will get when he realizes he is still in love with me,” 

Nino disregarded her by putting on his earphone and staring at the computer to do his work, ignoring her completely. 

“Serina nee-chan…” 

He heard Ohno’s voice and immediately lifted his face to see Ohno in the office. Serina was delighted to see him and immediately went for a hug with her arms stretched open. But, Ohno avoided her and went to Nino, putting a kiss on his forehead. 

“What are you doing here, Serina nee-chan?” 

“To see you, Satoshi…” Serina answered. Once again, she tried to act cute with her voice. Urgh, annoying. “But, Ninomiya san told me you have a meeting. Did he lie because he didn’t like to see us together?” 

Liar… Didn’t she say she was here to see Nino? 

“It wasn’t a lie. My meeting was cancelled,” Ohno said, quickly picking up on what had happened before he arrived. “Why do you want to see me?” 

“Oh, I thought he didn’t allow us to meet because he’s jealous,” 

Ohno responded with a laugh. “No, nee-chan. He is not jealous at all. So, why do you want to see me?” 

“Do I need a reason to meet you? I just miss you and that’s why I come here. Let’s eat together today. I’ve forgiven you for what happened on Saturday,” 

As always, she had no shame. She completely disregarded Nino and his friends as if they weren’t here. And what was this thing about forgiveness? Ohno didn’t need her to forgive him just because he failed to show up at her house as she wanted. Geez, if this was how she treated Ohno in the past, Ohno must be blinded by love to let her do as she pleased. 

Nino noticed the way Jun, Sho and Aiba looked at him, curious to know what she had meant. They, especially Aiba, would definitely ask him for details later. 

“I’m sorry, nee-chan," Ohno said. But, something in his voice seemed to indicate that something was wrong with him. "I cannot eat with you,” 

“Why?” As expected, she was whining. Was she so thick to understand what Ohno had told her on Saturday?

“Nee-chan…” 

“Because I don’t want him to go with you,” Nino cut him off before Ohno could explain. Ohno would offer the same explanation as before. If she did not understand the previous explanation, what difference would it make this time? So, it’s better if Nino was the one who talked to her. 

“Ah…” She sounded amused. “So, you’re jealous,” 

Jealous? Well, not really. Nino wasn’t doing this because he was jealous. He was doing this because of something else. 

He glanced at Sho, Aiba and Jun, noticing the confused look on them because of the drama that he had presented to them. Beside him, Ohno was trying to stop him from continuing. But, of course, he ignored him. He had reached this point so it’s better to just continue. 

“Nah… I just don’t want someone like you near my boyfriend,” 

“Someone like me?” 

“Yes. I don’t want my boyfriend to be as thick as you who do not understand when someone doesn’t want you around them,” 

Her mouth opened wide in surprise. But, once the meaning of what he said sunk into her, she pressed her lips together and her nostrils flared. 

“Satoshi!” She stomped her feet like a small kid. “Are you going to let him insult me?” 

Ohno looked at the two of them, clearly troubled by what had happened. A small part of Nino was worried when Ohno couldn’t decide who to side on this matter. What if he blamed Nino? Nino might have gone overboard with his words but he’s only doing this because she didn’t respect Nino as Ohno’s boyfriend. He was totally fine to let them continue their friendship but she kept thinking of Ohno as hers and that was unacceptable. 

“Satoshi!” She yelled again when Ohno didn't say anything. "Fine. If what he said is true and you don't want me around, you will not see me anymore. But, remember, I will not forgive you this time!" 

And off she went without sparing a glance at all. 

Ohno was shaken once she left and it worried Nino to see his boyfriend like that. Not knowing what to do, he stood up from his chair to let Ohno sit. He held Ohno's hands tightly and told him to take a deep breath, hoping it would calm him. Sho went to the pantry and when he's back, he brought a cup of tea. He offered the drink to Ohno. Ohno did as he was told and not long after that, he had stopped shaking.

"Are you okay, Ohno san?" Sho asked. 

Ohno only nodded his head. He wasn't okay, Nino knew that. But, he didn't know how to talk with Ohno about this. It seemed like the relationship between Ohno and Serina was more toxic than he imagined. Even though a few years had passed since they met, Serina still had some control over Ohno. No wonder she kept talking about forgiveness. It was her way of controlling Ohno. He could totally imagine how Serina had used the same tactic whenever Ohno tried to defy her in the past. Poor young Ohno! 

"Kazunari…" His thought was distracted when Ohno called him softly. He looked at his boyfriend and smiled at him. "Let's talk in private," 

Nino hummed in agreement and Ohno led him into his room. When he entered the room, it reminded him of the first time Ohno had reprimanded him for bothering others during work. Ohno was so intimidating at that time, which was a total contrast of what he had seen earlier with Serina. 

"Did she always do that?" 

No answer from Ohno. Nino let him be, giving him the space that he needed. Ohno might have thought that he could break free from Serina but seeing Serina again had changed that. 

"I really want to tell her that I don't want to see her anymore," Ohno finally said something. "But I couldn't do so. I couldn't get the words out of my mouth," 

Nino reached out for Ohno's hand, stroking the hand gently. "Because you're a nice person. That's why you cannot tell her," 

Ohno only gave him a small smile. 

"It was easier to do so on a phone," Ohno said, reminding Nino of what happened on Saturday. Of how cool Ohno was when he ended the call with Serina. "But… when I saw her… and… she talked about… forgiveness… I couldn't say anything. Am I a coward, Kazunari?" 

"Of course not…" Nino quickly assured him. "You're not the problem here, Satoshi. She is," 

"She will be back," Ohno said, staring into the distance. "She might say she will be gone. But, she always does the opposite. She will bother us again. Maybe we should break…" 

Nino put a finger on Ohno's lips, not going to let Ohno continue what he wanted to say. There's no way he's going to give up this relationship. 

Ohno gave him another smile and then pulled him to sit on his lap. "So, you want to continue this relationship?" 

"Of course," Nino said. "I don't want to end it for a stupid woman," 

Ohno hugged him closer. "But you need to be careful, ne? She doesn't like when things don't go as she wants. She might do something unpredictable," 

Nino nodded his head. He didn't know what Serina might do to them but he's going to be prepared for anything. 

The week went by without much trouble from Serina. As she said, she won't see them anymore. But, of course, they still saw her sometimes as they worked in the same company. She pretended not to know them when they bumped into each other and Nino happily did the same. Ohno, however, still looked uncomfortable when they saw her. 

Even though she seemed harmless right now, Nino knew better than to trust her. She was up to something and would definitely do something when he let his guard down. So, he had to be prepared for it. 

On Saturday, someone rang his bell early in the morning. He took his phone to look at the time. It was only 8 AM! Why disturb his sleep this early on a weekend? He usually slept until 10 AM. 

The guest kept on ringing his bell. He was hoping Aiba would answer the door or perhaps the guest would give up when no one answered the door. But, neither had happened. So, he stood up reluctantly to answer the door. 

"Wait a moment," He said grumpily as he swung the door open and Ohno stood in front of him, grinning like an idiot. 

"Geez…" He let the guy in. "The dinner would be at 8 PM, not 8 AM. Why are you here so early in the morning?" 

Today, he's going to meet Ohno's parents for the second time. They invited him to dinner at their house.

Ohno didn't say anything, only putting a kiss on his lips and teasing him for his morning breath. Nino pouted. It's too early so he had no mood to retort. He lied down on the couch, ready to sleep again. 

"Who is it, Nino?" Aiba came out of his room, looking as sleepy as he was. "Ah, Ohchan, good morning," He wasn't surprised to see Ohno. "Bringing Nino out on a date?" 

"Nah…" Nino was the one who answered. "He doesn't know the difference between 8 AM and 8 PM," 

He shut his eyes, wanting to go to sleep again. However, Ohno pulled him to sit and then sat next to him. Nino glared at him before lying down again, putting his head on Ohno's lap. Ohno didn't give up and pulled him to sit again. But, Nino resisted him and he had no choice but to let Nino sleep. He stroked Nino's hair softly, making it easier for Nino to fall asleep. 

He woke up about two hours later. When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the bed but Ohno was nowhere to be seen. Hearing noises from outside of the room, he went out. Ohno was with Aiba in the living room, watching a cooking show together. 

"Good morning, honey," Ohno kissed his lips when he noticed Nino came to the living room. "Still so smelly," 

Nino smacked Ohno’s head. "Why are you here?" 

"I want to drag you out for breakfast. And then maybe we can go cycling in the park. But, Aiba chan said I should let you sleep because you played games all night. Kazunari, you know it's not healthy, right?" 

"I already advised him, Ohchan. But, he's so stubborn," Aiba added. 

Nino only stuck his tongue out at both of them. "It's good you're here. Help me with groceries later and then you can help me baking," 

"Baking?" 

“Un,” Nino nodded his head. “I’m going to make brownies for your parents. Do you expect me to go there empty-handed?

“Of course not. But, I thought you will buy instead of making,” 

“Buying will cost more money,” 

“Nino’s brownies are delicious,” Aiba joined the conversation. “They are his family recipe,” 

“Really?” Ohno asked. “Can’t wait to taste it, then,” 

“It’s for your parents, not you,” Nino said. He stood up from the couch. “I’m going to take a shower then we can go out for lunch and then groceries,” 

“Can I join you in the shower?” Nino stuck his tongue out at Ohno and then quickly ran into the bathroom before Ohno could do anything. Ah, he enjoyed playful time like this with Ohno. How long would it be before Serina tried to do something again? He could feel it would happen soon. Sooner than he expected. And it would be worse than what she did before. 

“Ah, I’m so tired!” Ohno said when they arrived home. He put the groceries they had bought on the table. Then, he lied down on the couch. 

“If you’re tired, why don’t you lie down on my bed?” Nino suggested as he sorted the groceries that they had bought. Aiba joined them for lunch and groceries but then he left them to go to the gym. “It’s more comfortable,” 

“It will be more comfortable if you join me,” Ohno said, winking at him. 

“Later. After I’m done with this, I will join you,” Nino said, pointing at the groceries on the table. Ohno simply smiled and went ahead to rest. Nino glanced at the clock, noting that there’s still time to bake if he took a nap. 

As he sorted the groceries, he smiled to himself thinking of what Ohno had said while they were shopping. He said they were a domestic couple. First, they cooked together. Then, they went for groceries shopping together. Later, they would bake together. Did they move too fast in this relationship? He didn’t think so. Maybe next time, they could go cycling together as Ohno had said earlier. 

“Ah, Ninomiya san, you’re finally here,” Ohno’s mother hugged him when he arrived at Ohno’s house. She was still as lovely as Nino remembered when they first met in the restaurant. 

“How are you, Ohno san?” Nino asked. “I bring brownies for you,” 

He handed the brownies to Ohno’s mother who smiled delightfully to see it. 

“Thank you so much. Did you make it yourself?” She asked as she looked at the container that he used to put the brownies in. 

“Yes, mama,” Ohno answered on his behalf. “I already tried it. It’s really good,” 

“Really? I can’t wait to try it,” 

Ohno’s mother then excused herself to go to the kitchen. She told them dinner wasn’t ready yet so they would have to wait for a while. Ohno brought him to the living room. No one was there. 

“Where are your father and sister?” Nino asked. 

“My father is probably in his room, reading. He loves to read. Nee-chan is out with her friends,” Ohno answered. “Hey, I need to take a shower. Do you want to wait here or in my room?”

“I will just wait here,” 

“Or…” Ohno moved closer, whispering in his ear. “Do you want to join me?” 

Nino was flushing to hear that. Ohno never really wasted a chance to tease him. He pushed him away, asking him to quickly go. 

“I will leave the door unlocked in case you change your mind,” Ohno left with a laugh. Urgh, this guy was such a tease. 

Being left alone in the living room, Nino really didn’t know what to do. Should he do what Ohno had suggested? Nah, it’s impolite. So, he went to the direction that Ohno’s mother went earlier. If the dinner wasn’t ready yet, he should help her. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asked Ohno’s mother who was putting the brownies that he brought into a plate.

She smiled at him. “It’s okay. You should rest. You’re our guest,” 

“It’s okay, I don’t mind helping,” 

Knowing that he would not change his mind about helping, Ohno’s mother handed him a knife and asked him to cut the onions. 

“I wonder where Serina is,” Ohno’s mother mumbled but it was still loud enough for Nino to hear. 

“Serina nee-chan?” He asked for clarification, silently hoping it wasn’t the same Serina that he thought of. 

“You know her? She is Satoshi’s sister’s friend,” 

“She’s working in the same company but in a different department. She is here?”

Ohno’s mother nodded. “She came to visit me. I didn’t know she had returned from the US so I was surprised. When she heard you’re coming with Satoshi, she offered to help me cook. But, she was gone when I returned to the kitchen. She’s probably in the washroom. Do you know…” 

Nino couldn’t focus on what Ohno’s mother was telling him. Serina was here! It was probably a coincidence but he couldn’t help but think that it was her plan. Perhaps she knew about the two of them coming to Ohno’s parents’ house from Ohno’s sister and then decided to sabotage it. If it’s true, what would she probably do? Proving to Ohno’s parents that she’s better than him? That didn’t seem like something that she would do. 

“STOP IT!” 

A scream was heard from upstairs and without thinking properly, Nino went to the direction of the sound, barely aware that Ohno’s mother was behind him. 

When they arrived upstairs, they were joined by Ohno’s father who told them the sound came from Ohno’s room. They walked quickly to the room and all he could hear was a loud voice but he didn’t really know whose voice it was or what was said. His mind was a mess. All he could hear was Serina’s voice in his head, repeating what she had said before. 

“Gloat all you want, Ninomiya. But, this isn’t over yet. Why don’t you leave Satoshi? It will spare you from the humiliation that you will get when he realizes he is still in love with me,” 

He pushed open the door and what he saw surprised him. Ohno in a towel with Serina, wearing nothing but her underwear. What did she do this time? Did she get into the room to be alone with Ohno and thus proved that Ohno was still in love with her? 

He looked at Ohno, hoping that it wasn’t what he thought. But, all that he could see was fury in Ohno’s eyes. He never saw Ohno like this before. 

“You’re too much, Serina nee-chan!” Ohno barked. “Why do you do that? I’ve told you nicely before that I have a boyfriend now. But, why do you keep trying to seduce me? I don’t love you anymore! Is it hard for you to understand?” 

“But… I thought you…” 

Ohno didn’t give her the chance to say anything as he continued to talk in the same angry voice. 

“What? I’m doing this because I want to make you jealous?” He snorted. “That’s bullshit! I have moved on! Right now, the only person I love is Kazunari. If you want to get me back… that’s not going to happen. You lose the chance when you leave me alone to go to New York. Nothing you do will ever change that. Not now. Not ever. I just want to be with Kazunari so stop bothering us!” 

“Satoshi, I’m sorry,” Serina tried to get closer but Ohno pushed her away. 

“Get out of my room! NOW!” Ohno yelled.

But Serina didn't move. She kept sobbing because things didn't go according to her plan. She came to the room, feeling confident with herself that she would be able to seduce Ohno. But, it backfired. Instead of making Ohno cheat on Nino, she gave Nino more reasons to love Ohno. 

"Come here with me, Serina," Ohno's mother approached her, taking her clothes on the bed to cover her. She led Serina out of the room and Ohno's father also left. It must be mortifying for her. She didn't only humiliate herself in front of Nino and Ohno. She had also involved Ohno's parents in this. 

Realizing that his mother was in the room, Ohno started to look around until his eyes met Nino. He waited until they were alone before he went to hug him. 

"Sorry," Ohno said. "I heard someone enter the room so I thought it was you. But…" 

"It's okay. I understand. I'm happy to see you finally stand up against her. She was so scared. Perhaps she will learn her lesson this time," 

Ohno didn't say anything, only hugging him tighter. They stayed like that for a long time before Ohno's mother called them to eat. 

Nino went down first as Ohno still needed to shower. He went to the dining room, surprised to find Ohno's sister there. 

"She's gone," Ohno's sister said when Nino's eyes darted around, looking for the woman who had caused trouble for him since he met her. "I'm sorry. I should know she was up to something when she suddenly contacted me," 

Nino looked at her with curiosity, expecting her to explain what she had meant by that. But he was saved from asking when Ohno arrived and asked her the same question in his mind. 

"After she left for New York, she never contacted me. Not until the day you introduced Ninomiya san to us. I posted a picture of you two in my Instagram and she suddenly texted me," 

Ohno's sister took a deep breath and then continued. "It was a normal conversation at first… she asked me about my life and then told me about her life in New York. Then, we talked about our family. And slowly, the conversation seems to be focusing on you. I didn't find it strange because I was just too excited to have her back in my life."

She then told them how surprised Serina was to find out that Ohno had a boyfriend now. And the next day, Serina told her that she's coming back to Japan. Of course, she was thrilled but she hadn't suspected anything. Once in a while, Serina would ask about Nino and Ohno. Perhaps a part of her had wondered why Serina was interested in them but she didn't want to doubt her so she didn't ask anything. 

She admitted that she told Serina about dinner with Nino today but she totally didn't expect Serina would show up and behave like that. That's why she was sorry for ruining the dinner. But no one blamed her. It was Serina's fault. 

Ohno's father then urged them to stop talking about Serina because it would dampen the mood even more. They agreed and talked about something more pleasant.

Noticing it was almost 11, Nino excused himself to go home. Of course, Ohno's mother had invited him to stay over because it was late. He was reluctant but eventually, he agreed to do so. He texted Aiba informing him that he won't be home today before retreating to Ohno's room to sleep. He changed into a pyjama, borrowing it from Ohno. 

"What are you thinking about?" Ohno asked as they snuggled together on the bed. 

"Nothing. Just happy that I didn't find you with her doing something that will break my heart," 

Ohno gave him a small smile. "I will never forgive myself if I break your heart like that, Kazunari," 

"I know. I love you so much, Satoshi. So much," Nino said. Another breathtaking smile from Ohno before they leaned in for a kiss. 

Ohno woke up in the middle of the night. After making sure Nino was sound asleep, he went out of the room, taking his phone with him. He wasn't surprised to find a few missed calls and text messages from the same number. He sighed, dreading the thought of returning the call. 

He went to the kitchen and drank a glass of water before he dialled that number. A few seconds later, the familiar voice of Serina greeted him. 

"Why did you do that?" Serina asked angrily. "He was supposed to find you cheat on him." 

"I…" He could not answer her. Because he himself did not know the answer. Or perhaps he knew but he didn't want to admit it. 

"Don't tell me… did you fall in love with him?" Serina accused him. But, when he stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying her, she continued in the same angry voice. "Did you forget what he did? We cannot forgive him. He shall be punished," 

"Yes, he will. I change the plan because I have got a better plan to make him suffer. It would be gruesome," That was a lie. He didn't know what to do. “And don’t you ever think I’m in love with him. That would never ever happen,” 

"It's good to hear that," 

"I apologize for humiliating you earlier," 

"Well… I might forgive you. But you have to make sure he suffered,"

There was a lump in his throat, a part of him that didn't want to agree. He didn't want to make Nino suffer. But, he pushed that thought away, giving Serina the satisfaction that she wanted. Once they had an agreement, she ended the call. 

Ohno sighed as he stared into the distance. He had to push his feelings for Nino away. His revenge was more important.


	9. Chapter 9

Nino rubbed his eyes. His neck and shoulder felt stiff for staring too long at the computer. But, it was worth it when he saw the report in front of him. Well, it wasn’t completely done yet as he still needed to do a review but it felt good to know he would complete the work soon. 

As he was moving his neck, someone came behind him and started to massage his shoulder, soothing the pain that he felt. He didn’t have to turn to know it was Ohno. 

“Working hard, aren’t you, my love?” Ohno said. His hands had stopped working on Nino’s stiff muscle, much to Nino’s displeasure. He took Aiba’s chair and sat next to him. That’s when Nino realized they were alone in the office. Eh? Where was everyone else? 

“Look at the time, Kazunari,” Ohno chuckled when he looked around the office in confusion. Nino glanced at the clock on his computer and realized he only had twenty minutes left before the lunch hour was over. “We tried to inform you but you dismissed us. You’re too engrossed doing your report,” 

“Sorry. I want to finish the report quickly. It’s okay, I will just eat instant ramen,” 

Ohno looked at him disapprovingly when he told him the plan. “I've already ordered delivery food for us. It’s in the pantry. Let’s go and eat now,” 

“Okay,” Nino easily complied. He stood up and went to the pantry with Ohno trailing behind him. Ever since they became a couple, Ohno would make sure he ate properly. 

Ah, yakisoba. Nino squealed with delight to see two sets of yakisoba on the table. Without wasting any second, he quickly sat down and devoured the meal. Ohno laughed looking at him as he poured a glass of water for Nino. He was lucky to have such a caring boyfriend like Ohno. 

Ohno was about to sit down to eat when his phone rang. He seemed reluctant to answer the call as he looked at the caller ID but then he excused himself, bumping into Jun on his way out. Nino tilted his head watching him. It may not seem weird to other people but something about the way Ohno looked at his phone when he received the call made him uneasy. He wondered if the call was actually from Serina. Perhaps that bitch hadn’t learned her lesson yet and still bothered Ohno. 

His thought was disrupted when he heard someone chuckling. He glanced at Jun who sat down next to him.

“Where are Aiba chan and Sho chan?” Nino asked before Jun could tease him. 

“Queueing for a smoothie,” Jun answered. “The line is so long so I asked them to buy for me,” 

“Lazy,” 

Jun smacked his head. “You would do the same thing too, right?” 

Nino only grinned. He took his phone to send a text to Aiba to buy mango smoothies for him and Ohno. Aiba sent a reply, saying he would only buy for Ohno. But, Nino knew better. He would definitely buy for Nino even without Nino asking for it. 

He put his phone on the table, frowning when he noticed Jun was looking at him with an amused smile. 

“The way you are looking at me right now is so creepy, you know,” 

Jun only laughed to hear what he had said. “I cannot believe that I get to see you be in love with someone. I seriously thought you’re going to get married to your game,” 

Nino laughed with Jun. He wasn’t offended. In fact, it was a joke between them when they first became friends. Nino was too obsessed with his game and he always used it as an excuse to not get into a relationship. Thank goodness, Ohno was okay with his obsession even though he would pout sometimes if he knew Nino sacrificed his sleep to play games. 

“I’m happy for you, you know. Both of you are a cute couple,”

Nino flushed upon hearing that. He was sure his ears were red right now because of Jun’s compliment. 

“I didn’t know you ship me and Ohchan,” As always, being snarky was the best way to hide how embarrassed he was. 

“I’m not shipping you and Ohno san,” Jun rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying you guys are cute, that’s all,” 

Nino laughed, glancing at the uneaten yakisoba. “Jun Kun, why don’t you be a dear and get my boyfriend here if he has finished his phone call? He hasn’t eaten yet,” 

Jun pretended to be grumbling but stood up from the chair and did as he asked, leaving him alone in the pantry. 

Ohno stopped himself from cursing when he saw the caller ID. It was from Serina. After their conversation in the middle of the night, Serina hadn't bothered him. But, she suddenly called him again today and he knew why. He hadn't done what he had promised. 

"Hello, Satoshi," Serina greeted him. "I went by your department earlier and I saw you with the murderer. Both of you look so happy," 

"Can you please stop calling him that?" 

The murderer. That's what she had been calling Nino. And there's a reason she had been calling him that. Once upon a time, both Ohno and Serina had someone precious in their life. But, Nino had taken him away. Ohno wasn't aware that Nino was responsible for it, not until Serina came back into his life and told him the real reason she was back in Japan. She wanted Ohno to fulfil the promise he had made years ago. 

It happened a few days before Nino came to his house for dinner with his parents. Serina had called him, begging him to meet her because she had something important to tell him about Nino. At first, Ohno refused her but she always knew how to persuade him. And she successfully piqued his interest by mentioning the name of his best friend that he had lost. And off he went to see Serina alone. 

"What else should I call him?" Serina said, bringing him back to the present. "He killed my boyfriend, who was also your best friend! Did you forget what you had promised years ago?" 

Ohno didn't answer her. He never forgot the promise. When he found out that his best friend had died in an accident caused by a drunk driver, he had sworn that he would punish the driver if he found him. It was just an accident but he was angry because the driver simply left after the accident without helping his friend, not even to call an ambulance. If he had called, his friend could be saved. Furthermore, he had sworn the promise out of anger as the accident robbed him the chance to reconcile with his friend. Thanks to Serina, he had a fight with his friend and they didn’t talk for a while. But, that was really petty of him to blame the driver for that. 

Years passed and at some point in his life, he decided to forget the grudge. But, Serina came back into his life, reminding him to fulfil the promise. Using her skills, she had once again ignited the flame of hatred he had for the driver. 

When Serina informed him that the driver was Nino, he was angry at himself. How could he let himself be in a relationship with his best friend’s killer? And Serina… She taunted him, telling him that he had forgotten his best friend because of Nino and he cannot think straight because of her words. Well, she was always skilful in manipulating others. Or maybe, he was too weak against her. 

Out of anger and shame for not discovering it himself, he lied to Serina, telling her that he wasn’t really in love with Nino. He was pretending to be in love with Nino to hurt him later. That’s why he had asked Serina to come into his room, wanting to hurt Nino by making him see them together. But, he couldn’t do so. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt Nino. 

“Are you still there, Satoshi?” Serina asked as he had stayed silent. “When are you going to tell me about your new plan?”

The new plan. He never thought of it. Even though he had decided to push away his feelings for Nino so that he could focus on his revenge, he couldn’t do so. Each time he looked at Nino’s face, all he wanted to do… he just wanted to pamper his little boyfriend. He loved to see Nino’s face when he smiled and he didn’t want the smile to disappear. Not because of him. That’s why he kept delaying his revenge. At this rate, he didn’t think he could do it at all. He was so in love with Nino and he didn’t want to hurt him. But, he was a man of his words. He never broke a promise before. So, what should he do? 

“You’re miles away again, Satoshi. What are you thinking about?”

“None of your business,” He said. Sometimes, he was still surprised that he could talk back to Serina. This wasn’t something that he could do in the past. “I will tell you the plan when I want. I’m busy right now. Bye,” 

He ended the call, noticing Jun was walking towards his office. Besides, he didn't have anything to talk about with Serina. Jun knocked on his door before entering his office. 

"Ohno san, the brat asked me to check on you," Jun said. Ohno smiled because of the pet name that Jun had for Nino. If he was not mistaken, Nino sometimes would call Jun 'diva'. It's funny to see how the two of them interacted sometimes. "If you have finished your phone call, he asked you to eat,"

"Sure. I'm about to do that," Ohno responded. He left the room with Jun walking beside him "Do you always call him that?" 

"Do you mean the brat? Of course! Since the first time we met," 

"Oh…" Ohno cocked his head. "How long have you known him?" 

"Since I work here. We're recruited at the same time," 

They halted their conversation once they were in the pantry. Nino was almost done with his yakisoba. As Ohno was about to sit down, Aiba and Sho entered the pantry, bringing smoothies with them. Sho gave one to Jun and then the two of them left the pantry to continue their work.

"Here you go," Aiba said, giving Ohno a smoothie. He still had two smoothies with him which, Ohno assumed, were his and Nino's. 

"My smoothie, Aiba," Nino said, holding out his hand. 

"Nope. No smoothie for you,"

"But, you have an extra smoothie with you. It's for me, right?" 

"Nope. I bought two for myself," 

"Fine…" Nino pouted. Ohno smiled at Nino fondly. Nino being so childish like this was one of the reasons he loved to pamper him.

"Let's share my smoothie, then," He said, handing his smoothie at Nino who smiled brightly. He took a sip from Ohno's.

"Refreshing!" Nino exclaimed. Once again, Ohno smiled seeing Nino like that. 

"Awh…" Aiba cooed. "I shouldn't buy it for you. It's cute to see you and Ohno san sharing the smoothie. Here… " Aiba handed a straw to Nino who took it in confusion. "I will give you a straw so both of you can drink together at the same time. It will be more romantic," 

Nino smacked his head. "Give me my smoothie!" 

Aiba only laughed before handing the extra smoothie to Nino. The two of them continued their silly squabbles. Watching them, Ohno once again thought about his revenge. Being with Nino had been the best time of his life. Was it worth losing Nino for the sake of his revenge? It was just an accident. Nino might be at fault but…

Eh? His eyes widened as he realized… How did Serina know it was Nino? She wasn't at the crime scene. 

When Serina revealed Nino was the one responsible for the accident, he was too emotional to think straight. Serina didn't even give him proof and he blindly trusted her. Now that he could think properly, this could be one of her tricks to separate the two of them. 

Shit! How could he allow Serina to manipulate him again? He was so stupid! Ah, thank goodness, he didn't go through with the previous plan. If he did… ah, he didn't want to think about it. He could lose Nino. 

“Satoshi!” He jerked in surprise when Nino suddenly shouted. He looked at his boyfriend, frowning when Nino looked at him with concern. “Are you okay? I’ve been calling you but…” 

“I’m fine. I’m just admiring your cute face,” He teased Nino, loving the way Nino’s face turned red because of him. Aiba, as usual, cheered them before Nino chased him out of the pantry. 

“Stop teasing me and eat your yakisoba,” Nino said with his face still flushing. “I will leave you alone to eat,” 

Ohno only smiled before putting a kiss on Nino’s lips. It was just a short kiss. But, it was enough to make him realize how much he loved Nino and he didn’t want to lose him. Serina, be damn! He would find a way to deal with her later. How dare she tried to sabotage their relationship again. 

Ohno had left the office after lunch for an appointment with a client. Aiba and Jun went with him, leaving Nino alone with Sho. Ah, this was going to be boring. 

He had finished reviewing his report and now, he wanted to take a short break. And what’s the best way to take a break? By bothering his friends. But, Aiba wasn’t here for him to bother. He would even settle for Jun because he loved the way Jun responded each time he disturbs him. But, Sho? Hmm… Sho rarely responded to anything he said when he worked.

“What’s wrong with you, Nino?” Sho suddenly asked even though his eyes were still focusing on the computer screen. “Do you miss your boyfriend? He will be back shortly,” 

“I know and…” 

Nino trailed off when Serina entered their department. She had dyed her black hair blond and Nino almost didn’t recognize her because of the new hair. She looked even uglier. And what’s she doing here? She’s supposed to be working. 

“Yes, miss, do you need help with anything?” He tried to remain professional. Maybe she was really here because of work even though he doubted that.

“Satoshi is not here?” She asked. Nino shook his head, trying to look unaffected. The incident at Ohno’s house was a few weeks ago and he hadn’t seen her face since then. Seriously, he thought she had learned her lesson. But, she was still as shameless as before. Perhaps the call Ohno had received during the break was indeed from her. 

“Great!” Much to Nino’s surprise, she was beaming with happiness to know Ohno wasn’t here. “I have something to show you. I thought of sending it to your phone. But, I think it would be better to deliver it myself. I want to see your reaction,” 

Nino looked at her warily. What was she up to this time?

“Come here,” Serina beckoned to Sho when she noticed Sho was watching them. Much to his surprise, Sho stood up and approached them. She smirked and then took out her phone from her bag. She handed the phone to Nino. What was on display was a video and she asked him to play it. He became even more anxious as it was Ohno in the video. He seemed to be in a restaurant and from what Nino could see in the frame, his eyes were full of hatred. Taking a deep breath, Nino played the video. 

“You’re wrong. I’m not with him because I love him. I do this because I want to punish him. I want to make him fall in love with me and then I will break his heart,” 

Nino’s heart almost stopped beating when he heard what Ohno said in the video. What did he mean? Who was he talking about? Was he talking about Nino? 

“We will have dinner with my parents on Saturday. Come to the house. Come into my room. I want Kazunari to find us together on the bed. It will be the best way to break his heart,” 

What? So, what happened during dinner with his parents was a set-up. But… Ohno wasn't with her on the bed. He had humiliated her. So, what did that mean then?

Serina took the phone from him as he tried to sort his thought. 

“There’s a reason why he didn’t do what he said,” Serina smirked. She clearly knew what was on Nino’s mind. She pressed something on her phone and then handed it back to Nino. This time, it was a voice memo. He played it and wasn’t surprised to hear Ohno’s voice. 

“I change the plan because I have got a better plan to make him suffer. It would be gruesome. And don’t you ever think I’m in love with him. That would never ever happen,” 

Serina took the phone from him. Nino lifted his face, hoping Serina would explain to him what had just happened. Was it exactly what he thought? If it was… everything Ohno had told him was a lie. And he was a fool to believe him. 

“I have to go now,” Serina said. She sounded happy. “The video and the voice memo are genuine. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your beloved boyfriend,” 

She skipped out of the office. But, she stopped at the door, looking back at Nino with her sly smile. 

"Your boyfriend is here!" She announced happily as Ohno entered the office with Aiba and Jun. It was hard for him to keep his emotion in check when he saw Ohno. But, Sho tried to calm him. 

"Why are you here?" Ohno asked. He looked at Nino with worry evident in his eyes. But, what was he worried about? Worried that Serina might do something to Nino… or… was he worried that Nino had found out his true intention?

"Delivering something important to Ninomiya san just like we planned," Serina answered with a bright smile. While Aiba and Jun seemed to be clueless with what she said, Ohno's face went pale and for Nino, it was enough to prove that the video and the voice memo were real. 

"What do you mean?" Ohno asked. 

"Hmm… I think you know what I mean," She approached Ohno and touched Ohno's cheeks before she left. 

"Nino…" Ohno tried to get closer to him but Nino put a distance between the two of them. 

"So… you make me love you so that you could break my heart?" Nino snarled at Ohno. He clapped his hands. "Congratulations! It works!" 

"Nino…" Sho called him. "We don't know if it's true. It could be…" 

"No!" Nino cut him off. He didn't want to hear anything right now. "See! He didn't deny it. So, it must be true!" 

His heart ached so much. And, it was even more painful when he pictured the hatred in Ohno's eyes from the video. Why? Why did Ohno hate him?

"Kazunari… I could explain," Ohno tried to persuade him. But, he didn't need any explanation. Whatever Ohno said was a lie and he didn't want to be tricked again. What did he ever do to Ohno? Why did Ohno do this to him? How could he… 

"Don't call me Kazunari," He shook his head. "It's over between us!" 

"But…"

"I hate you. And I will never forgive you,"


	10. Chapter 10

Nino couldn't stand looking at Ohno's face right now. The voice in his head told him to quit the job. But, the sensible part of him said that it would be stupid to do so just because of Ohno. Besides, he loved the job and he doubted he could find another job like this. 

So, he decided to take a week off from work. Under normal circumstances, there's no way the human resource department would allow him to take a long holiday under short notice. But, the head of the department had a soft spot for him and thus, he approved Nino's leave application. 

At first, Nino thought to spend his holiday at home playing games to take his mind off Ohno. But, aside from the office, his house was the place he had spent most of his time with Ohno. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see Ohno smiling at him. So, following Aiba's advice, he decided to go to his parents' house. He hadn't visited them for a while, after all. 

Off he went to see his family. He arrived at his hometown in the afternoon when it was time for lunch. His sister, Kazuha was the one who opened the door when he knocked. She looked at him in surprise. 

"Why aren't you working?" Kazuha asked. Kazuha worked as a freelance editor so she spent most of her time home. 

"Is that how you greet your baby brother, nee-chan?" He retorted, hoping to sound like his usual self. He didn't want his family to know about his problem.

"Well… you seldom come to visit on weekdays. So, of course, I am surprised. What brings you here?" 

"Who is that, Kazuha?" 

Before Nino could answer, he heard his mother's voice inside the house. 

"It's Kazunari, Mama," 

"Huh?" His mother gasped. He could hear the sound of footsteps approaching the door and then his mother appeared. She smiled warmly when she saw him.

"Kazunari, what a pleasant surprise!" His mother said as he embraced him. "Are you here alone or do you bring him with you?" 

Knowing exactly who his mother meant by that, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. He had told his mother about Ohno, ensuring her that he would bring Ohno with him when he came to visit her. But now… he sobbed even harder. 

"What's wrong, honey?" His mother asked softly. But, he didn't answer. He could only cry, remembering the hatred that he saw in Ohno's eyes. Seeing his reluctance to answer, his mother seemed to understand why he was like this. Kazuha tried to probe his mother but she shushed her. 

"Let's get you inside, ne," His mother suggested. He nodded his head and then the three of them entered the house. 

His mother brought him to the living room and asked Kazuha to make a cup of tea for him. She obeyed without protest and when she was back in the living room, Nino's mother asked her to leave them alone. She seemed reluctant but went ahead with a pout on her face. 

"Where is papa?" He asked as he didn't see his father anywhere in the house. His father had retired from work a few years ago. Since then, he mostly spent his time in the house.

"Going out to see an old friend," His mother answered. "Are you okay, Kazunari? Would you like to tell me what happened?" 

Nino shook his head. He wasn't here to burden his mother with his problem. He was here to forget Ohno, to think of what he would do next. But, it seemed hard to do so. 

His mother smiled understandingly. "It's okay. I won't force you," 

He returned the smile. His mother then left to prepare lunch for the three of them.

His family left him alone on the first day. His mother probably told his father and Kazuha not to bother him. They didn't ask him anything, instead, they were the one who told him gossips about people in their neighbourhood. He tried to engage in the conversation but it was hard. He kept thinking of Ohno and the video, wondering why Ohno hated him. What did he do to deserve the hatred? 

But, on the second day, his sister barged into his room, waking him up early in the morning. 

"Nee-chan, it's still early!" He complained. "Why are you here?" 

"I want to eat melon pan!" Kazuha announced excitedly. Nino frowned looking at her, not quite getting what she meant. So, he lied down on the bed once again, ignoring his sister. 

"Kazunari!" Kazuha whined, pulling him to sit on the bed. "Let's go and buy a melon pan!" 

"Later. I'm sleepy," 

"If we don't go now, it will be sold out! I want to eat the melon pan made by Suzuki baa-chan," 

Nino's eyes opened widely hearing the name. He no longer felt sleepy as he thought of memory from his childhood. Both of them always wake up early to line up and buy the famous melon pan in their neighbourhood. It was truly the best melon pan he ever ate. 

"I'll wait for you in the living room. You better be quick," she urged him. Nino simply dismissed her, telling her he will be there in five minutes. 

He finished preparing shorter than he anticipated. Once he was ready, his sister quickly pulled him, complaining that he was late and if they didn't get the bread, it would be Nino's fault. Nino simply stuck out his tongue at her. They were ready to go out when Nino's mother appeared from the kitchen. 

"Where are the two of you going?" 

"Melon pan," Kazuha answered. 

His mother simply laughed looking at the two of them. She asked them to buy groceries on their way home and she would text them what to buy. 

When they arrived at the bakery, there was already a long line of people wanting to buy melon pan just like them. Kazuha pouted as they lined up, blaming Nino for being late. 

"It's not my fault," Nino protested. "You should tell me from yesterday so that I can wake up early," 

"Don't you dare to blame me for this," Kazuha flicked his nose to annoy him. Nino could only laugh, thinking of how similar they were. Despite the long line, it went by pretty quickly and fortunately, they got to buy the bread.

"So much fuss early in the morning," Nino complained as they sat down to eat. He took a bite, exclaiming excitedly how delicious the bread was. 

"Kazu, you know I am nosy and impatient, right?" Kazuha began, sounding serious all of a sudden. Nino sighed, knowing exactly what she wanted to talk about. Ah, he should have known she had another motive for taking him out today. 

"Mama has told me not to bother you. You will tell us when you're ready but…" 

"What do you want to know?" He asked, trying to sound angry. But, it didn't come out the way he wanted it to be. His sister happily continued. 

"Who should I kill for hurting my baby brother?" 

Nino couldn't stop himself from laughing when he saw Kazuha's expression. She didn't look scary at all despite what she said. 

"It's not funny, okay," Kazuha pouted. "I'm serious," 

"I know," Nino said, still laughing. "But, you don't look scary at all. I don't think he will be afraid of you," 

"Who is he?" Kazuha inquired. Nino stopped laughing, debating whether he wanted to tell her. He was grateful for what she did today. Since the incident with Ohno happened, he found it hard to laugh. But, Kazuha made him feel better today with her antics. She was similar to Aiba in that aspect. 

"Tell me!" She urged him. 

"Geez, you're so nosy," Nino said, trying to ignore her. She glared at him. It was something that she always did to make people do her bidding. No one was afraid of her when she did that but they complied nevertheless to stop her from nagging.

"Okay, I will tell you," Nino decided after contemplating for a while. He wanted to tell her not because she forced him but because he wanted an opinion from an outsider on how to handle this problem. Usually, it was Aiba who advised him but just like him, Aiba was too emotional to think rationally right now. 

So he told her how it began with Ohno tricking him into meeting his parents. And then it turned into a real relationship. But, Serina appeared and then she started to ruin their relationship. He told her everything that Serina had done including showing him a video that revealed Ohno's true intention of dating him. 

"Urgh… What a jerk!" Kazuha raised her voice angrily when he finished. Nino didn't say anything. She was right. Ohno was a jerk for what he did to Nino. 

“But…” Kazuha looked thoughtful before she continued. “Do you think Ohno san is a bad person?” 

Nino didn’t answer her. After what happened between them, it was natural for him to think of Ohno as a bad person. But, once again, there was a voice in his head which told him that there’s an explanation for it and he should listen to Ohno’s side of the story. But… he was too afraid to do anything. 

“This Serina… why do you think she showed you the video?” Kazuha asked when he remained silent. “Is it for your sake or for her sake?” 

Nino frowned, couldn’t really understand what his sister meant. “Does it matter?” 

“Of course, it matters!” Kazuha claimed. “She tried to destroy the relationship between you and Ohno san. The video might be real but how about the circumstance that prompted him to say that? He could be manipulated just like you,” 

Nino wanted to scoff upon hearing what Kazuha had said. Ohno was manipulated by Serina? Yeah, right!

But… what she had said, it was the same thing that he had been thinking about since he saw the video. Why did Ohno hate him? Why did Ohno want to punish him? Was it because of something that Serina told him? Those are the questions that he kept asking. 

“Look, Kazu… I’m not taking his side in this matter. I don’t know him. But, I think you should listen to him first before you make any decision. I don’t want you to regret leaving him because of something Serina told you. She’s not someone you could trust,” Kazuha continued, once again telling him things that had been in his mind. “You still have time to think about this. Think carefully, okay, Kazu?” 

Nino simply nodded his head. 

“Well, if Ohno san is guilty, don’t worry,” Kazuha assured him. “I’ve told you. He’s going to pay for making my baby brother cry,”

This time, Nino laughed out loud when he heard Kazuha call him her baby brother again. He’s an adult but for her, he would always be her baby brother.

“I’ve told you, I don’t like it when you call me baby brother,” He joked, trying to lighten the mood between them. “I’m an adult,”

“Whatever!” She pinched his cheek. “You’re my baby brother so I will call you that whenever I want,” 

Nino laughed again. “Thanks, nee-chan. I can’t believe you’re capable of advising people,” 

Kazuha smacked his head. “I like it better when you’re bratty like this,” 

Nino only smiled at her. And, he was glad that he talked with Kazuha about his problem. It gave him insight on what to do. It was the same thing he had been thinking of doing. But, his sister gave him the courage to do it. Well, it’s time to enjoy his holiday first. He would deal with Ohno after his vacation. 

"Ohno san…" Ohno looked away from the computer screen to find Aiba standing in front of him. "Here is the document that you asked for," 

Aiba put a document on his table and then bowed his head before leaving the office. He didn't even look at Ohno. But, Ohno knew what he would see in the cheerful guy's eyes if they looked at each other. Anger. Disappointment. Hatred. After what he did to Nino, he deserved that.

Things had been different since Serina showed a video to Nino. A video of him telling Serina that he wasn't in love with Nino and was only in a relationship with him because he wanted to hurt Nino. He was so stupid. He had let Serina manipulate him again. And now, whenever they met in the building, Serina would smile triumphantly at him. 

Shit! He should be more careful before it happened, knowing that she would always have a few tricks up her sleeve. And, right now, he had no idea what to do to win Nino back. Nino would never trust him again.

He couldn't focus on his work so he shifted his attention towards the person in his mind. Today was the first day Nino was back from his vacation. He didn’t know where or what Nino did during his vacation. But, he was relieved that Nino didn’t quit the job. And, it seemed that the vacation had helped to improve his mood. 

He observed his staff from the room, happy to see the pleasant atmosphere between them. They were laughing happily and he wondered what it was about. Once upon a time, he used to be a part of that. But, if he joined them now, the atmosphere would be different. It would be tense. Nino would ignore him, Aiba wouldn't even look at him and Jun… he would scowl at him. The only one who seemed indifferent was Sho. But, it didn’t mean he wasn’t angry at Ohno. He was just being professional at work. 

"Kazunari…" He said the name softly. How he wished he could call the name again and the owner would look at him with affection and not hatred. 

“I’ve told you not to call me by that name, right?”

Ohno jerked in surprise to find Nino standing at his door. How did Nino move so quickly? He was just at his desk… 

Perhaps it was just his imagination, he concluded. He shook his head and returned to the computer screen only to be surprised once again to hear a sigh and then the sound of the door closing. He blinked his eyes when Nino sat in front of him. Then, he returned his gaze towards Nino’s desk and saw he was no longer there. So, the person who was sitting in front of him was the real Nino. 

“You’re real?” A stupid question to ask. 

Nino rolled his eyes. “Believe me, this would be the last place I want to be. And you…” He pointed at Ohno. “You will be the last person I want to talk to,” 

“But, you’re here,” Ohno remarked. Was it for something good or for something bad? 

“Because I need an answer,” Nino responded. “Are you busy?” 

Ohno shook his head. He was actually pretty busy but there’s no way he could work when he hadn’t settled things with Nino. And, this could be his only chance to set things right. 

“Do you know what she showed me?” Nino asked. 

Ohno nodded his head. It was easy to guess. There’s only one thing that would make Nino angry with him. 

“Was the video real?” 

Once again, Ohno nodded his head. He had no reason to lie. It’s better if he was honest with Nino. 

“What you said in the video…” Nino was in pain, he knew that from his expression. But, Nino tried to act strong and it made Ohno feel guilty to see Nino trying to pretend that he wasn’t affected by what was in the video. “... do you mean it?”

“I…” He stopped himself. He didn’t know what to say. So, he only shook his head. It’s the truth, after all. He didn’t mean what he said. He only said that to stop Serina from taunting him. If Nino didn’t believe him, it’s okay. No one would believe him. 

“Funny…” Nino said, scratching his head. “I don’t know why but I believe you,” Ohno’s eyes opened widely upon hearing what Nino had said. Did he hear correctly? “If it’s a lie, I am the stupidest person ever for trusting you, Ohchan. But... I saw hatred in your eyes. Who was it for? Me?” 

Ohno quickly shook his head, wanting to deny what Nino might have been thinking about. “It was for me. I hate myself for letting Serina nee-chan get into my head again,” 

Nino didn’t say anything, only gave him a look to continue. So, he took a deep breath before he continued. 

“I used to defy her back then,” Ohno began. It’s going to be a long story. But, he would keep it short. “And to punish me, she dated my best friend. The only friend I had. My friend and I got into a fight because of that and we stopped talking. And then, I lost him in an accident caused by a drunk driver,” 

Nino tilted his head. He was frowning, clearly didn’t understand why he suddenly talked about his friend. 

“We never get the chance to reconcile. I was petty. I blamed the driver that killed my friend and I promised that I will punish him if I ever find him. Serina nee-chan…” 

“Wait…” Nino stopped him from continuing. It seemed like he finally understood the reason Ohno suddenly started talking about his friend. “Do you think I was responsible for the accident? Is that why you talk about punishing me?” 

Ohno nodded his head. He lowered his face, couldn’t bring himself to look at Nino because of how stupid he was for blindly trusting Serina. 

"Wow…" Nino said. "I'm kinda disappointed to know you trust what she said about me. It's like… don't you know me at all? I would never drive if I'm drunk,"

Ohno didn't say anything. He brought this upon himself. If only he didn't let his emotion control him when Serina accused Nino, none of this would happen. 

"But… who am I to judge?" Nino said, more to himself rather than to Ohno. "I made the same mistake. I trust the video that she gave me over you even though I know it wasn't something she did out of kindness. She did that to separate the two of us," 

"It's different," Ohno countered. "She gave you proof. I just blindly trust her," 

Nino only gave him a weak smile before he asked. "So, why did you change the plan? And if she didn't show me that stupid video, what is the new plan to break my heart?" 

"I changed the plan because I don't want to hurt you. There’s no new plan. I was just lying so that she will stop bothering me. But, she knows I lied and that's why she showed you that video. I know it's hard to believe. But, I'm really telling you the truth. And I really hope you will forgive me," 

Nino didn't say anything. He simply stared at Ohno. 

"I love you, Kazu…" He quickly stopped himself when he realized he almost called Nino by his first name. "Will you give me another chance, Ninomiya san?" 

Nino would reject him, he knew that. But, he still wanted to try. 

"I…"


	11. Chapter 11

“I will think about it,”

That’s what he told Ohno before he walked away from the room, feeling relieved that Ohno didn’t try to stop him. He didn’t want to make a rash decision. He was still in love with Ohno and he wanted them to be together. But… to give Ohno another chance… he thought it's impossible. 

It was not easy to confront Ohno. When he heard Ohno call him by his first name as he entered the room, it took him a great control to stop himself from hugging him. But, remembering the real reason he came to see Ohno, he tried to appear calm despite how uneasy he actually was. 

For him, the confrontation went well and he should be congratulated for staying calm. He almost lost his composure when they started talking about the video. It was hurtful to remember. But, he did well after that including when he found out how Serina had lied to Ohno about the accident. He couldn’t believe how thick Ohno was! How could he trust Serina blindly? Even if he didn't trust Nino, he should investigate the accusation first before trusting her. What a dumb guy!

“How did it go, Nino?” Aiba asked when he sat down at his desk. “What did he say?” 

“It went well,” Nino answered nonchalantly. He didn’t want to elaborate. Not yet. It’s time to focus on his work right now. 

“What did he say?” Aiba asked again. He was as nosey as always. But, Nino didn’t really mind. 

“That’s not important,” Jun groaned, joining them. As usual, Sho was the only one who stayed focused on his work. “What I want to know… when are you going to let me punch him? He deserves a punch! Urgh, I can’t believe I let him trick you. I should know he was up to something,” 

“There’s no need to do that, Matsujun,” Sho said despite his eyes still glued on the screen. Nino looked at him in wonder. How could he focus on both the conversation and his work? “It’s not good to be violent,”

“But…” Jun wanted to protest.

“If you punch him, you could get in trouble, Jun-pon,” Nino cut him off, agreeing with Sho, which made Jun look at him in dissatisfaction. “I’m not barbaric. If I want to punish him, I will use my head, not my hand,” 

“So, what do you want to do to him?” Jun asked again. Nino could only laugh seeing how determined Jun was to punish Ohno for what he did. Even though Nino was two months older than him, Jun always acted as his big brother. They spent most of their time bickering. But, if Nino was in trouble, Jun would always help him. And he was grateful for that. He was truly surrounded by people who cared about him. Maybe he didn’t need Ohno after all. Even before Ohno came into his life, he was happy with his family and friends. 

“Nothing,” He said. “Just help me decide if I should give him another chance,” 

This time, his friends, including Sho, were shocked by what he said. Sho took his eyes off the screen and joined the other two to stare at him with eyes wide open as if he had a horn on his head. 

“Are you serious?” Sho asked as he tilted his head. “If I’m not mistaken, you said you will never forgive him. I assume talking with him was the reason…” 

“Nino, are you dumb?” Jun cut him off, sounding angry. “Why do you want to give him another chance?” 

“Yes, Nino,” Aiba agreed, looking at him with concern. “What if he tricks you again?” 

Nino gave them a slight smile. He was touched to see how his friends cared about him. “I need your opinion to decide. I don’t want to act rashly. Let’s get together after work today and I will tell you what he told me just now. Help me to make the right decision, please,” 

He wasn’t the type to ask for people’s opinion. Aiba usually would just interfere in his personal affairs even without him asking for help. But, this time, he really needed his friend’s help. 

The three of them looked at each other. Aiba and Sho nodded their heads but Jun shook his head. “I stand by my point. I don’t need to hear what he said. You shouldn’t give him another chance,” 

Nino looked at him expectantly, hoping Jun would change his mind. At first, it was difficult to convince Jun. He was stubborn. But, after a while and with the help from Aiba, Jun reluctantly agreed. 

"Are you alone?" 

Ohno didn't raise his face when he heard the voice. He knew exactly whose voice it was. Stupid Serina. After everything that she did, how dare she show her face to him!

"Where is Ninomiya? Why does he leave you eating your lunch alone?" 

Shamelessly, she took a seat opposite Ohno but he ignored her. They were in a restaurant. Even though he really wanted to strangle her, he couldn't create a scene in public.

She called the waiter and ordered her food, much to Ohno's dismay. But, he continued to ignore her and ate his meal as quickly as he could so he could leave her.

"How long are you going to ignore me, Satoshi?" She asked. "You may think you're in love with Ninomiya but believe me, one day, you will realize I'm the one you need. And you will thank me for getting rid of Ninomiya in your life,"

She's really testing his patience. He was so stupid not to realize how she had been destroying his life and taking everything from him. What should he do to make her realize he wasn't into her anymore? He had no idea at all.

He couldn't stand being with her any longer. So, even though he hadn't finished his meal, he asked the waiter for the bill.

"Why are you leaving so early, Satoshi?" She asked. "You haven't finished your food and I'm still waiting for mine. Please stay. We have a lot to talk about," 

"I have nothing to talk about with you," He snorted. Why was this waiter taking so long to get his bill? He had to go now before he lost his patience with her. "So, please stop bothering me. I have important things to do," 

"What kind of important things? Trying to get back with Ninomiya?" She mocked. It made him even angrier with her. "That's impossible. He is so angry with you because of the video. If he forgives you… what a stupid person he is then," 

Ohno glared at her, knowing what she said was right. After talking with Nino earlier, he didn’t think Nino would give him another chance. 

"Even if he doesn't want me back, nothing will ever change between you and me, Serina nee-chan. Like I said before, you lost your chance and there's no way I'm going to accept you back,"

He hoped what he said had an impact on Serina. But, she only gave him a slight smile before leaning forward and whispered to him. 

"Should I try to hurt Ninomiya physically? Perhaps, he will disappear for good this time," 

Ohno pushed her away, feeling uncomfortable to hear what she said. She might be bluffing but he had a bad feeling about it. Thank goodness, the waiter finally came with his bill and he quickly left her.

But, as he walked back to the office, he couldn't stop thinking of what she said. What did she mean? What would she do to Nino this time? Killing him? No, Ohno won't let her do anything to him.

"Are you okay, Ohno san?" He was surprised to hear Sho's voice. Too absorbed in his own thoughts, he didn't realize he was not alone in the office. 

"Yes, thanks for asking," He answered quickly. He glanced at the clock, noticing it was still lunch hour. "Did you go for lunch, Sakurai san?" 

Sho nodded his head. "I finished my lunch early and headed back to the office to finish my proposal," He pointed at his computer screen. "Are you sure you're okay? You are pale," 

Should he tell Sho about what Serina had just told him? Sho could help him protect Nino from her, something that he failed to do because of his stupidity. 

"I have something to tell you," He decided. "Let's talk in private," No one else was in the office but they could get back any moment. So, it's better to talk in his room.

Sho nodded his head and followed him to his room, bringing a notebook with him. 

"I assume it has something to do with Nino?" Sho guessed as he closed the door behind him. Ohno asked him to take a seat first.

"I think Nino is in danger," Ohno began explaining. "She told me she wants to hurt Nino physically. I don't know why but maybe she wants to kill him,"

Sho went rigid because of what he said and Ohno could see the anger in his eyes. Ohno had to close his ears when Sho yelled. "Are you serious? She already destroyed his relationship and now she wants to kill him? What is wrong with her?" 

Ohno was taken aback to see Sho yelling. Sho had always been calm and composed. But, now… it was the first time he saw Sho lose his temper and he was actually scared to see Sho like this.

"I'm sorry," Ohno quickly apologized. "She's doing this because of me. She always thinks of me as her property. And she doesn't like it when I put someone before her. But, I don't expect her to go this far. Perhaps I overreact. Maybe those words are just empty threat," 

"No," Sho shook his head. "I may not know her as you do but I'm sure of one thing. She is insane,"

Ohno didn't deny what he said because Sho was right. Serina was insane. And Ohno was even more insane because he didn't see her for what she truly was until it's too late. 

"Hmmm… maybe I should get back together with her. If I do what she wants, Nino will be safe," He suggested. 

Sho rolled his eyes at him because he had just suggested something stupid. He knew how dumb his idea was but if it would help to keep Nino safe, he was willing to do it. 

"Ohno san, you're smart. But, you keep making wrong decisions," Sho didn't sugarcoat his words. "If you do that, maybe you will keep Nino safe but you will hurt his feelings. Do you really want that?" 

Ohno quickly shook his head. He didn't want to hurt Nino again. 

"I will tell Nino and the others about this when they get back from lunch," Sho said. "He's with Aiba and Jun right now so hopefully she won't dare to do anything to him," 

Right on cue, his phone rang and Sho answered the call. 

"Where are you? I have…" Sho started. However, the person who had called him seemed to bring bad news as his eyes became wary and he seemed to be in a panic. 

"What do you mean, Aiba chan?" 

Ohno couldn't hear what Aiba had said. He became restless waiting for Sho to finish the call. What happened? Did Serina do something to Nino? No, please don't. Maybe he should stay with her in the restaurant just now. At least, she would be under his watch.

"Okay, I'll be there," Sho ended the call. "Follow me, Ohno san," 

Without wasting any second, he quickly followed Sho while praying for Nino's safety.

"Urgh, the bitch is here," Jun said, pointing at Serina who was sitting in the lobby. She was playing with her phone. "Should I go there and give her a piece of my mind?"

"No, please," He told Jun and Aiba nodded in agreement. The three of them had just finished lunch. He was in a good mood. He didn't want Serina to ruin it.

"You guys are so soft," Jun said in protest. "I hate her," 

As if she knew they were talking about her, she turned, looking straight at them. She stood up and walked towards them with a smile. Nino recognized the smile. It meant that she was once again up to something. 

"Hello, Ninomiya san, you look happy," She greeted them. "And seeing you happy makes me happy too," 

Yeah, right! What did she want to do this time? Another video to show, perhaps?

“Anyway, are you free?” She asked. “I want to talk with you in private,” 

“He’s not going anywhere with you,” Jun answered for him. His voice was stern.

“Yes,” Aiba agreed. His sunshine friend who was always friendly sounded different this time. Maybe he was not as intimidating as Jun but it was enough to make people scared of him. “No talking in private with him,” 

She clasped her hands, not affected at all by Jun and Aiba. “You have two bodyguards with you now. Impressive,” 

“What video do you want to show me this time?” Nino asked her. 

She gave him a smirk before she answered. “No video. Perhaps I should take a picture with Satoshi earlier. Do you know? We have lunch together,”

What did she say? Lunch with Ohno? What did that mean? Why did Ohno go out with her when he asked Nino to give him another chance? 

“Let’s talk,” She said once again, looking at him with hopeful eyes. 

“I’ve told you…” 

Nino stopped Jun. After considering for a while, he didn’t think it was a bad idea to go with her. He was ready to see whatever she wanted to show him this time. “It’s okay. I’ll go with her,” 

“Are you crazy?” Both Aiba and Jun rolled their eyes, giving him a disapproving look. 

“He wants to go with me. Why do you guys want to stop him?” Serina interjected. “Come, follow me,” 

He followed her despite the protest from Jun and Aiba. Before he left, he warned them not to follow him. Everything would be all right, he assured them. Or, perhaps he was actually trying to convince himself. If Serina tried to attack him, he had an advantage, right?

She brought him to the roof. There’s no one else there. 

“What do you want to tell me?” He asked. 

But, she didn’t answer, only looked at him from head to toe, scrutinizing every aspect of him. It was uncomfortable to see the way she was looking at him. 

“Do you know that I hate you?” She finally said after she was done examining him. 

“I know,” Nino answered. “The feeling is mutual,” 

“I don’t understand,” She continued. “I’ve tried everything to get him back. But, everything was futile. No matter what I did, he still loves you. I tricked him into believing that you killed his stupid friend. But, he didn’t buy it. Urgh, it was easier to manipulate him back then. Do you want to know something? His friend wasn’t killed by a drunk driver. He was killed by someone I hired. I asked the real killer to make it look like an accident,” 

Nino blinked his eyes. What did she say? Was she telling him the truth? Or was she trying to mess with him again?

“He deserved it. He tried to get between Satoshi and me. I spent years nurturing Satoshi to be my perfect worshipper. But, Satoshi started to defy me because of him. So, I seduced him and they fought because of me. It was really fun to watch,” She had a dreamy look on her, probably to reminisce the finest moment in her life. Nino, on the other hand, felt nauseated to see how she viewed it as a success. 

“But… urgh… that stupid guy found out that I’m just using him. And he wants to dump me,” She laughed dryly. “No one can dump me. That’s why I have to punish him,” 

Nino started to regret his decision to come with her to the roof. He was stupid. Why did he think it was a good idea to go with her? He shouldn’t come here. This bitch was crazy. 

"I should go. I don't want to know about this," He was about to move but Serina stopped him.

"You cannot go yet," She said. There was something scary about her. And to be honest, Nino was afraid to go against her. Was this how Ohno always felt around her?

Seeing that he didn't move from his position, Serina continued her story.

“Even though his death was classified as an accident, I felt insecure. I’m afraid someone will figure out the truth. That’s why I have to flee Japan. I was happy in New York until I saw the picture of you and Satoshi. How dare you take what is mine. Satoshi is mine. FOREVER!” 

“Ohchan is not…” 

“Who gives you permission to talk?” She scowled at him. “I’ve been thinking about this. I tried to make him hate you. It doesn’t work. I made you hate him. I don’t think it works, either. So, you left me with no choice. I have to eliminate you,” 

She took out a gun from her bag and directed it towards Nino. He blinked his eyes in surprise, having a hard time believing the direction that this confrontation was going to. Was it a real gun? If it was real, how did she get it? Urgh, why was he thinking about that? He should escape from her. 

He tried to think of something. To make her put the gun away. But, nothing came out right now. He couldn’t even move, too afraid of her. 

Everything happened too quickly after that. He heard the sound of the gunshot and he was pushed away from his position. Someone was lying down with blood on him and his eyes widened to see it was Ohno. He quickly went to him, realizing Ohno had been shot. How did he… Ah, now was not the time to think about that. He had to make sure Ohno was safe. He didn’t want Ohno to die.

Ohno opened his eyes, feeling pain in his body. He looked around, trying to see where he was and why he felt pain. From the surrounding, he might be in a hospital. Hmmm… how did he end up here?

Someone was holding his hand. The person was sleeping, covering his face with hair and preventing Ohno from seeing the face. But, he knew who he was. He recognized the hand. 

What happened, he tried to remember. His memories were hazy but he remembered talking with Sho about Nino and Serina when Aiba called Sho. Then, he followed Sho to the rooftop only to see Serina was about to shoot Nino. Without thinking properly, he pushed Nino aside and perhaps he was shot. That would explain the wound on his body and why he felt pain. But, it’s okay as long as Nino was safe. 

His movement roused Nino from his sleep. When he saw Ohno had woken up, he looked relieved before he smacked his head. 

“Stupid idiot dumb Maou! Do you know how worried I was when you were shot?” Nino scolded him. But, he only responded with a smile, feeling nostalgic to hear the nickname once again. 

“Are you okay, Kazunari?” Ah, he had called Nino by his first name again. But, Nino didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m okay because you took the bullet for me. Don’t do that again, please,” 

“If I don’t do it, she will kill you and no… I won’t let that happen,” 

“You are lucky the bullet missed your heart. How do you feel?”

Ohno smiled at him, assuring Nino that he was okay. “What happened to Serina nee-chan?” 

“Well…” Nino tried to look neutral. But, his expression suggested that he was actually happy for whatever happened to Serina. “She ran away after she shot you. But, she was hit by a truck and is still unconscious. Not quite sure what kind of injuries she had but if she survived, the injury will cause her a lot of pain,” 

Oh. He didn’t know if he wanted to feel sorry for her. She had caused him enough misery.

“I don’t feel bad for her,” Nino said. “In fact, I think she deserved it after what she did to your friend,” 

“What do you mean?” Ohno asked. Nino looked away as if he was trying to escape from him. Maybe, it wasn’t something that he had planned to tell him. “Do you know something about the accident that killed him?” 

Reluctantly, Nino nodded his head. “You should probably rest,” 

“But, I want to know,” Ohno protested. 

“I will tell you later,” Nino raised his right hand to promise. “Now, please rest. You need it,” 

Ohno could only pout. He didn't have much energy to continue his protest because of his injury. So, he closed his eyes, trying to sleep when he felt a kiss on his forehead. He hoped the kiss meant that he still had his chance to be with Nino. 

However, when he woke up, Nino wasn't in the room. Instead, it was his sister who was with him and it made him think that perhaps everything that happened earlier was just a dream.

"You're going to give him another chance, right?" Jun asked when they were on the way home from the hospital. He was sitting at the back seat with Jun while the lovebirds sat in front. He wanted to stay in the hospital but Ohno's sister told him to rest at home.

"Why? You don't like it?" He asked for confirmation. He hadn't made a decision yet but his heart was leaning towards giving Ohno another chance. After almost losing Ohno today, he couldn't bear the thought of living without Ohno in his life.

"Not really," Jun shrugged him off. "I just think that maybe getting shot was a better punishment than a punch," 

"Jun!" The three of them scolded the youngest. 

"Fine," Jun said in defeat. "I can see that he loves you and after you explained his relationship with that bitch, I don't think he is a bad person. He is just stupid," 

Nino only gave him a smile, agreeing with what Jun had said. He gave his attention to his friends who were sitting in front of him. "How about you two?" 

"Whatever you want to do, Nino," Aiba said. 

"Me too," Sho hummed in agreement. "But, I think if Ohno san hurts you again, Jun won't hesitate to punch him," 

"Of course," Jun agreed. "I won't even ask for your permission,"

Nino went to the hospital during lunch that day. He had applied for a half-day break from work and it was approved without much problem. As he had said, the head of the human resource department had a soft spot for him. Plus, he rarely applied for leave.

Ohno's mother was with Ohno when he arrived at the hospital. She asked him how he felt while Ohno continued to stare at him. 

"I will leave the two of you alone," Ohno's mother said. Once she left, Nino brought his attention to the man on the bed who was still staring at him without saying anything. 

"Can you stop staring? It's creepy,"

"Are you real?" 

Nino couldn't stop laughing as he remembered how Ohno had said the exact same thing yesterday.

"Of course, I'm real. Do you think I'm a ghost?"

"No," Ohno shook his head. "I just thought… it was a dream. You were with me when I first woke up. But, the next time, you were gone. So, I thought it was just a dream," 

Nino gave him a smile before leaning forward to put a kiss on Ohno's lips. 

"Does it feel real this time?" He asked shyly to which Ohno responded with a chuckle.

"You are real," Ohno said, caressing his face. 

"Thank you, Ohchan for saving my life. I really appreciate it," 

"I… maybe…I hurt you… it's a punishment," Ohno seemed to be at a loss of what to say. "I'm sorry for hurting you," 

"Let's put things about Serina away. I'm willing to give this relationship a new start if you want it," 

Ohno was beamed with happiness because of what he said. "Do you mean…" 

"Yes… I've been thinking about this. I'm not giving you another chance as a reward for saving me. I almost lost you and I realized I cannot live with you. That's why I want to give us another chance," 

"Nino!" Ohno exclaimed. "You make me so happy. Thank you so much…" Ohno stopped for a while. "Can I call you Kazunari?" 

"Yes," Nino nodded his head. "Just a reminder… if you hurt me again, Jun will definitely punch you," 

Ohno seemed to be taken aback with what he said. "Matsumoto san is scary. But, I promise I won't hurt you anymore. Thank you, Kazunari. Thank you for giving me another chance. I will treasure you,"

Then, they leaned forward for another quick kiss.


	12. Epilogue

Nino was lying on the bed with Ohno on top of him, kissing him all over his face and neck while muttering 'I love you' repeatedly. They were still dressed but it won't be for long because Ohno had started working on his shirt. 

However, before they could do more, Nino started to giggle and it caused Ohno to stop moving.

"Kazunari…" Ohno whined. He sat on the bed, giving Nino a pout. "Why are you laughing? You spoil the mood!" 

"I'm sorry," Nino apologized, still laughing. "It's funny because usually, Aiba will show up around this time," 

"Urgh…" Ohno looked away from him. He was clearly sulking because of what Nino said. "He isn't here but he can still ruin our sexy time," 

"Awh…" Nino said, getting up from the bed to shower Ohno with kisses. He pushed Ohno to lie down on the bed but Ohno didn't want to respond. "Don't be jealous of Aiba. I'm sorry, okay," 

As there was still no response from Ohno, he started to tickle Ohno's stomach. To his surprise, Ohno suddenly reversed their position and he was once again trapped under Ohno's body. 

"Because you’re thinking of Aiba during our sexy time, I will punish you,"

"Guilty as charged," Nino said as Ohno took off his shirt. "I'm ready to be punished,"

When Nino woke up the next morning, Ohno was nowhere to be seen. He was probably in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the two of them. Nino was too lazy to get up from the bed, blaming Ohno for it. So, hopefully, Ohno would bring breakfast into their room. 

Nino looked around the room with a smile. After dating for a year, they finally decided to live together. Alone, this time. No Aiba to bother them when they wanted to… hmm… he smiled once again thinking of all those times Aiba had accidentally entered his bedroom or knocked on his door when he and Ohno were together. He didn’t think it was an accident. The timing was too perfect. 

His smile grew wider remembering the day they had decided to live together. What happened on that day was similar to what happened yesterday. They were kissing in his bedroom and were ready to do more when Aiba walked in. 

“Nino, I have some…” Aiba stopped mid-sentence when he realized Nino was not alone in his room. This time, he truly looked like he didn’t plan to walk in on them. Something was bothering him. “Oopsie… I don’t know Ohchan is here. I’ll talk to you later,” 

He quickly left, leaving Nino with a pouting Ohno. 

“Stop pouting,” Nino pinched Ohno’s chubby cheeks. “You didn’t lock the door so it’s your fault,” 

“He will knock on the door,” Ohno countered, not wanting to admit his mistake. “You better check on him. It seems like he has something important to tell you,” 

“Are you okay with that?” Nino asked for confirmation. “I’m sure he can wait,” 

Ohno nodded his head to assure him. Nino then gave him a quick kiss. This was what he loved about Ohno. He never made Nino choose between him or his friends. 

Aiba wasn't in the living room when he checked. So, he went to his room, knocking the door twice before he entered. Aiba was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. 

"What are you thinking about, Aibaka?" He asked, lightly smacking Aiba with the pillow. Aiba was surprised to see him in the room and sat next to him on the bed.

"Are you done?" Aiba asked. 

"Nah…" He answered, pretending to look angry at Aiba. "There's no way I can focus. I have to talk to you first. What do you want to tell me?" 

"Sorry," Aiba gave him an apologetic look. "I didn't know Ohchan is here," 

"It's okay. You better tell me what happened before my boyfriend gets cranky. Did Sho chan do anything to you?" 

Not too long after the incident with Serina took place, Sho had finally decided to confess to Aiba and the two began their relationship. 

"Sho chan… he asked me to move in with him," 

Nino wasn't surprised to hear that. Sho had recently accepted a job offer from another company. This would limit the time he spent with Aiba as they no longer worked at the same place. Made sense if he wanted them to live together. 

"You didn't say yes?" 

"I told him I will think about it. I don't know. I'm afraid that if we start living together, he might lose interest in me," 

Nino put Aiba's head on his shoulder and started to pat it. Aiba was always cheerful but he didn't have enough confidence in himself. He always thought that Sho deserved better than him. But, for Nino, they're the best couple. They complimented each other.

"Don't be ridiculous," He said. "Sho chan loves you. There's no way he will lose interest in you," 

"But…" 

"You're the kindest person, Aiba chan. You deserve to be happy with the person you love. And that person is Sho chan. He knows everything about you, every strength and every flaw. He accepts everything about you. He helps you whenever you think of a stupid experiment to do. Even though you're a bit weird and perverted, he still loves you. So, tell me, what will make him lose interest in you?" 

"I'm not perverted," Aiba mumbled. 

"Really?" Nino teased. "How many times did you walk into my bedroom when Ohchan and I are… you know what I mean, right?" 

"That was unintended," Aiba defended. The cheeky smile on his face kinda betrayed what he said, though. 

"Do you want to move in with him?" 

Aiba nodded his head. "I want to. I will tell him about my decision. But, how about you, Nino? Are you okay to live here alone after I move out?"

Nino rolled his eyes as Aiba had just said the stupidest thing ever. "I'm not alone. Ohchan is with me. He is practically our roommate now," 

Aiba grinned idiotically at him. "But, Ohchan only stayed over on weekends. How about weekdays?" 

"I'm sure if I told him about your decision to move out, he will be happy to stay here permanently," 

And he was right. When he told Ohno about Aiba's decision to move out, Ohno quickly voiced out his desire to live together with him. However, instead of continuing to rent at the place that he shared with Aiba, they decided to buy a new house. So, after months of finding a house and waiting for the loan to be approved, they officially moved into a new house a couple of weeks ago. And, today, they’re going to have a housewarming party, inviting only their family and friends. 

The sound from his phone distracted him from the memories. He took his phone and noticed there was a text message from Jun. 

What’s up, brat!  
Are you awake?

Nino quickly responded to the text because he knew why Jun texted him early in the morning. 

Morning, diva!  
I’m awake but I’m exhausted.   
It’s Ohchan’s fault. 

Jun didn’t reply to his text. Instead, he called Nino. 

“Brat,” Jun greeted him. “I’m not interested to know about your private activity with Ohchan,” 

“I know. I just want to tell you,” Nino said, teasing his friend. “It’s early! Why do you call me? Do you miss me?” 

Even though he couldn’t see Jun, he was sure his friend was rolling his eyes right now. 

“Not at all,” Jun responded, didn’t try to hide how annoyed he was because of Nino. “I’m going to the supermarket now. So, I’ll be at your house in one hour or so. Make sure you’re not doing something naughty around that time,” 

Both Ohno and Nino had decided to use Jun’s cooking skill for the housewarming party today. And his friend happily agreed to cook for them for free. He even volunteered to do the groceries for them because he didn’t trust them to buy the correct ingredients. 

“I can’t guarantee, though,” Nino answered, still in the mood to tease Jun when Ohno entered the room, bringing breakfast with him. He glanced at the tray that Ohno brought with him, happy to see Ohno made blueberry pancakes for breakfast today. 

“Fine,” Jun said. “If you don’t open the door when I ring the bell, find another chef for your party,” 

“Okay, I will open the door when you ring the bell but I can’t guarantee what you will see,” 

“NINO!” Jun yelled in annoyance. Nino had to move his phone slightly because it was too loud. Ohno shook his head, smiling to see how he teased his best friend. 

“Sorry, Jun pon,” Nino said. “I just want to tease you because you’re so cute when you’re angry,” 

“Shut up!” 

“Don’t be angry, please,” Nino pretended to plead. He doubted Jun was angry at him. He was just annoyed. He smiled widely when he heard a sigh from Jun. 

“You’re lucky I love you,” 

“Awh, that’s so sweet to hear,” He responded. “I’ll wait for you. Text or call me when you’re almost here, okay,” 

“Okay,” Jun agreed. “But, remember to behave properly,”

“Yes, Jun pon,” Nino said, ending the call. Then, he gave his attention to Ohno who was looking at him with amusement. 

“Blueberry pancake!” Nino said excitedly when Ohno put the tray in front of him. “Yeah!” 

“Yes, honey, pancake for you,” Ohno said, kissing the corner of his lips. “I really admire the way you teased Matsujun. He is scary when he’s angry but you’re not afraid of him,” 

“He is just a softie, Ohchan,” Nino explained. Everyone was afraid of Jun because he looked intimidating. But, if they truly knew Jun, they would know that he wasn’t as scary as he looked. “He is not scary at all," 

“I am still afraid of him. He wants to punch me, remember?” 

Nino laughed, remembering the old story. Yes, Jun wanted to punch Ohno for hurting Nino back then. But, he didn’t get the chance to do so because Ohno was shot by Serina and he thought it was a better punishment for Ohno. 

“Only if you hurt me,” Nino countered. Once Nino and Ohno resumed their relationship after what happened with Serina, things were weird between Ohno and Jun. Even though Jun had given Ohno a blessing to be with Nino, he was still hostile towards Ohno. It took time for him to warm up to Ohno again but as Ohno had proven he was serious with Nino this time, he started to treat Ohno nicely. 

Speaking of Serina, well, the bitch didn’t bother them anymore after what happened to her. She had lost her legs because of the accident and had to be taken care of by other people so of course, she cannot destroy other people’s lives anymore. She had once requested for Ohno to come and see her but Ohno ignored her. Serves her right!

Well, even though Nino hated her, he had to admit that having her trying to destroy his relationship with Ohno had its own silver lining. It taught both of them to be honest and trust each other. The relationship had been smooth after she was gone. They would argue sometime but they learnt to react maturely whenever there was a problem in their relationship. 

“You make the best pancake, Ohchan,” Nino said as he took the first bite of the pancake that Ohno made for him. 

“I know,” Ohno said smugly. “Hey, this will be the first time our parents meet, right?” 

Nino nodded his head. His mouth was full so he cannot speak properly. But, once he swallowed his food, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing remembering the first time he brought Ohno to meet his family. 

“Laughing again?” Ohno asked with a frown. “What’s so funny this time?” 

“Just remember how my sister teased you,” 

Ohno’s face turned red and it made Nino laugh even harder. 

A few weeks after Ohno had recovered from the gunshot, Nino brought him to see his family. He didn't let them know about the visit because he wanted it to be a surprise. 

Once again, when he rang the bell, Kazuha was the one who opened the door. 

"Kazu!" Kazuha squealed when she saw him. She hugged him tightly, making it hard for Nino to breathe. "Baby brother, why didn't you tell me you're…" Kazuha trailed off when she realized Nino was not alone. She whistled happily to see Ohno. "Oh, you brought someone with you. Is he…" 

Nino glanced at Ohno, noticing the shy smile on his boyfriend's face. 

"Is he the person you're going to introduce to our parents as my future husband?"

Upon hearing what Kazuha had said, Ohno's eyes widened as well as his mouth. Obviously, he was surprised to hear what Kazuha had just declared. Nino tried to stifle his laugh, knowing that his sister wanted to tease Ohno and he should play along with her. It would be payback for what Ohno did when he first met Ohno's parents.

"He's cute," Kazuha said, examining Ohno from head to toe. "Short but it's okay. I love his tan. It makes him look manly. Good taste, baby brother. I'm sure our parents will be happy if I marry him," 

"Ah…" Ohno frowned, looking at Nino for help. "I think it has been a mistake. I am..."

"I know you are Kazu's boyfriend," Kazuha quickly cut him off. She said in a low voice, not wanting their parents to hear. "But our parents don't approve of the gay relationship. So, Kazu and I have an agreement. I will marry his boyfriend and he will marry my girlfriend. Once we are married, what you do with Kazu behind my back is none of my concern," 

Kazuha was so good at lying. She knew how to make her story sound convincing.

"Kazunari, is this true?" Ohno asked for confirmation from Nino. Nino tried his best to look uneasy before he nodded his head. Ah, it was really hard to keep a straight face. 

"Nee-chan," Nino hissed at his sister, pretending to be angry. "Why did you tell Ohchan about this? I will tell him later. I just want to introduce him as my friend for now," 

"Are you serious, Kazunari?" Ohno asked again.

"I'm sorry, Ohchan," Nino lowered his face, trying to look guilty. "I don't mean for you to know about it like this. I should tell you before we come here," 

"What are you doing at the door, Kazuha?" A voice, which belonged to his mother called from inside the house. "I hear Kazunari's voice. Let him come in," 

"Let's go inside first," Nino told his gullible boyfriend as Kazuha opened the door widely to let them in. "We talk about this later, okay?" 

Ohno nodded his head without saying anything. He looked sad. But, Nino didn't feel bad for tricking Ohno. Instead, he was disappointed because he didn't think about it before Kazuha.

"Ah, Kazunari!" His mother grinned when she saw the two of them. "Is this him? Is this Ohno san?" 

Nino nodded his head. His mother then hugged Ohno. 

"Oh my, you are so handsome!" His mother complimented Ohno, who looked lost. "Thank you for loving my son. I never thought someone will love my little brat," 

"Eh?" Ohno frowned. "I thought…" 

This time, Nino and Kazuha couldn't stop themselves from laughing when they saw how clueless Ohno was. Seeing the way they laughed, Ohno finally understood what was going on. 

"You trick me!" Ohno pouted as Nino and Kazuha high fived for their success. 

"Forgive them, Ohno san," His mother said, shaking her head because of them. She was used to their antics. "They're so naughty especially when they're together,"

"It's okay, Ninomiya san," Ohno responded politely. "I'm too gullible. That's why they could trick me easily," 

"Awh…" His mother looked at Ohno fondly. "What a polite guy you are. I hope you can teach some manner to my son," 

Ohno only smiled shyly because of the compliment. 

"You look so funny when nee-chan said you have to marry her," Nino said, remembering how he had tricked Ohno back then. 

"You are so naughty," Ohno pinched his cheeks. Then, he stood up to leave the room. "Finish your breakfast quickly. We have a lot to do today,"

"Okay," Nino said. "But, we still have time to do something else first, right?" 

Nino tried to sound innocent. Ohno stopped at the door when he heard what Nino had said. He looked torn, not knowing what to do. 

"Ah, whatever!" Ohno yelled before joining Nino on the bed.

They were still on the bed when the bell was rung. Ohno looked reluctant to answer the door but they had no choice. It must be Aiba and Sho. Jun didn't call or text him so he was sure the person on the door wasn't Jun. 

Once Ohno was gone, Nino decided to take his shower. Jun would be here soon so it's better for him to be ready. Once he was done showering, he put on his blue bathrobe, feeling lazy to choose what to wear. He checked his phone and noticed there was a text from Jun, informing him he would arrive soon. Nino gave him an okay before he went out of the room to see Ohno with Aiba and Sho in the living room. 

"You are so early," He remarked as he took a seat next to Ohno who quickly wrapped his arm around his waist. "Ohchan and I haven't played chess yet this morning," 

Sho rolled his eyes. "You told us to come at 9," 

Nino glanced at the clock. "But it's not yet 9. You're early by 10 minutes," 

Sho threw a pillow at his direction. "Whatever," 

"Nino, may I ask you something?" Aiba asked. "Do both of you know how to play chess?" 

Nino and Ohno looked at each other and smiled. Aiba, Jun and Sho had once caught the two of them playing chess using their own dumb rules. They stacked the castles together on the board. Ohno made the knights kisses. 

"Of course," He answered. 

"But, you're playing it wrongly," Sho preached. "The knights aren't supposed to be kissing," 

However, before he could give a witty remark, his doorbell was once again rung. It must be Jun this time. Ohno went to answer the door and helped Jun carry the groceries to the kitchen. 

Once they were done, Jun came into the living room, drinking a glass of water. "Tell me once again, why do I agree to cook for your party,"

"Because you want to impress my sister with your awesome cooking skill," Nino answered. Hearing what he said, Jun smacked his head.

"I'm not interested in your sister," Jun scowled. Nino knew that. But, he loved to annoy Jun. "She is the female version of you. One Nino is enough in my life," 

"How about my sister, Jun?" Ohno asked. 

"Not interested," Jun said, shaking his head. "What did you guys do before I came? And why are you wearing your bathrobe?"

Nino didn't answer him. He only stuck his tongue out at Jun. 

"We're talking about the stupid way they played chess," Sho answered. 

"Oh…" Jun laughed. "Why do you play chess like that? Do you need me to teach you?" 

"No thanks," Nino responded. "We know how to play. But, it's more interesting to play with our own rules, ne, Ohchan?" 

Ohno hummed in agreement.

"Whatever," Jun drawled. He glanced at the clock and then started to panic. "Enough rest. We have a lot to do for the party. Let's start working!"

"How is your new job?" Nino asked Sho during the party. Everyone else was listening to Aiba's story about his volunteer work for an animal shelter. He had heard the story before so he indulged himself in a conversation with Sho as he realized Sho wasn't paying attention to the story. He simply stared at Aiba with affection. 

"Oh…" Sho said. "It’s good, I think. I'm still trying to adapt to the new environment,"

"Do you have cool teammates like us?" Nino asked. 

"Well, of course, you guys are the best," Sho said. "But, they are also good. As I said, I need time to adapt to the way they work. How about you? Do you miss me?"

“Of course,” Nino muttered. “The management hasn’t assigned a new person to replace you so we have a lot of works to do. That’s the only reason I miss you,” 

Sho only sighed as a response to what he said. 

"How about living with Aiba?" Nino asked. He smirked when he saw how Sho's face turned red. "Ah… no need to answer. I don't want to know,"

“Urgh…” Sho rolled his eyes. “Sometimes, you’re unbearable, Nino,” 

Nino was about to retort when Ohno hugged him from behind and joined them.

“He is unbearable but he is the best,” Ohno said, kissing his cheeks. “Kazunari, my parents want to go home,” 

“Eh?” Nino squeaked, looking at Ohno’s parents who were putting on their coat and ready to go home. Ohno’s sister didn’t come to the party because she went out with her friends. Nino quickly approached them. “Ohno san, it’s still early. Why do you want to go home?” 

Ohno’s parents laughed in response. 

“We have to go to our neighbour’s house tonight,” Mrs Ohno explained. “There is a gathering,” 

“Eh? That’s too bad,” 

“I know,” Mrs Ohno smiled softly. “Come to my house with your parents. I still have a lot to talk about with your mother,” 

“Yes…” Nino’s mother suddenly joined the conversation. “You haven’t shared your tiramisu recipe yet. I want to try,” 

Mrs Ohno had brought tiramisu for the party and everyone complimented how delicious it was. 

“Give me your number and I will text you the recipe,” Mrs Ohno said. 

“That would be great,” 

Even though Ohno’s parents seem to be in a hurry, they continued to talk with Nino’s parents. Nino only watched them with a smile on his face before he brought Ohno to join Kazuha who was happily talking with his friends. 

“You’re going to stay here right, nee-chan?” Nino asked. 

Kazuha shook her head. “No. We will go home. Papa wants to play golf tomorrow,” 

“Eh, I thought you will stay,” Nino pouted. 

“I don’t want. I have work to finish. The deadline is on Tuesday and I still have a lot to do,” Kazuha explained before she added with a smirk. “Besides, I don’t want to bother the two of you,” 

Nino only stuck out his tongue at his sister. Not long after that, Ohno’s parents truly left this time as they were already late for the gathering. Nino’s parents and Kazuha also left, leaving Nino and Ohno with their friends. 

“Help me with cleaning, please?” Nino smiled sweetly at his friends. 

Nino was once again lying on the bed with Ohno on top of him. Their friends left a couple of hours after helping them with cleaning. This time, nothing would bother them from doing what they wanted.


End file.
